Video footage of a whale mid-breach hitting a small fishing boat off New Hampshire, sending two men flying into the Atlantic Ocean, has gone viral online.
This remarkable video shows the moment the whale hit the boat, revealing that the boat quickly toppled the men into the water.
Fishing in the Atlantic Ocean
This video footage was caught by two teenage brothers from Maine who were fishing in the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday morning around 7 a.m.
The teenagers were fishing for menhaden, also commonly called “pogies,” in the ocean around other fishing boats.
A Whale in the Area
According to the teens, they knew there was a whale in the area, as they could see that the creature was feeding on a school of fish near them.
However, all the boats in the vicinity appeared to be on the edge of the school of fish. Therefore, they didn’t think it would be a problem.
The Whale Breaches and Hits a Boat
In the video captured by the teenage fishermen, you can see a whale breach as it comes up out of the water slightly.
However, then the whale completely hits a small vessel, falling on top of it mid-breach, and then causing the boat to capsize.
Two Fishermen Fall Into the Water
Two fishermen were on the boat — and they quickly fell into the water. One of the men saw the whale coming and immediately flung himself into the ocean to avoid being hit by the whale or the capsized boat.
Both men also hurriedly swam away from their boat and the whale, their adrenaline kicking in to help them swim quickly.
Teenagers Work to Help the Fishermen
Right after this event occurred, the two teenagers — named Wyatt and Colin Yager — worked to rescue the fishermen.
Wyatt Yager explained, “I was just in shock. Everyone else had the same reaction and tried to get over to those people. It was like, ‘Oh shoot,’ and then, ‘We’ve got to go help these people.’ All the boats dropped what they were doing to go over to help them.”
Capsized Fishermen Speak Out
As this video quickly went viral on a variety of social media platforms, many people wanted to ensure that the fishermen were safe.
The two men on this capsized boat, Greg Paquette and Ryland Kenney, explained that they immediately went into “fight or flight mode” when they were thrown into the ocean.
A Warning Sound
Kenney opened up to explain that a loud crackle gave him a slight warning of what was going to happen.
“I heard a big crackle,” Kenney said. “When that happened … the bow tipped up and I went to the left and as (the boat) was rolling over I kind of jumped off horizontally to avoid the whale and the boat.”
An Emotional Day
Paquette also explained his point of view of the event, saying, “Then I saw the whole stern become inundated with water and I thought, ‘Oh no. We’re going down. We’re going to sink now.”
Paquette added, “It’s been an emotional day.”
Capsized Fishermen Thank Teens
The two fishermen stayed on the Yagers’ boat for around 15 minutes before they were dropped off on another friend’s vessel. When the Coast Guard arrived, the men were then transported to Eliot, Maine’s Great Cove Boat Club.
The fishermen praised and thanked the two teens for acting quickly, as they were only in the water for about two minutes before they were rescued. Paquette said, “We’re glad they took such quick action. They didn’t even think about it. We’re really grateful to both of them.”
A Viral Video
Since this video has been posted online, it’s become a viral hit. Many social media users have shared it on a variety of different social media platforms.
The viral video has also brought about a ton of comments about the situation, with one user pointing out that the whale wasn’t attacking, writing, “You can actually see dozens of fish pouring out of its mouth as it impacts the boat. The whale was not attacking.”
No Injuries Reported
Diolanda Caballero, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson, revealed that no injuries have been reported. Neither the two fishermen, nor the whale, has been injured.
As a result, many social media users have happily shared the stunning footage of the whale capsizing the boat, as thankfully nobody was harmed.
