Two fishermen were rescued Tuesday after a whale surfaced beneath their boat, causing it to capsize off the New Hampshire coast, the U.S. Coast Guard reported.
The incident occurred near Odiorne Point State Park in Rye. The fishermen, who were thrown into the water, had previously spotted the whale and were attempting to keep their distance.
“We saw it go under, it disappeared for a few minutes, and then suddenly it popped up right by our transom,” said Ryland Kenney, speaking to WMUR-TV.
The Coast Guard responded to a mayday call reporting that a 23-foot (7-meter) center console boat had overturned due to contact with a whale.
“Both occupants were thrown overboard when the boat capsized,” the Coast Guard announced. An urgent marine broadcast was issued, and the Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor was notified.
Fortunately, a nearby boater rescued both individuals from the water. There were no injuries reported.
The rescuers turned out to be two young brothers.
“I saw it come up, and I thought, ‘Oh, it’s going to hit the boat,'” recounted Wyatt Yager. “And then it started to flip,” added his brother, Colin Yager, who captured the incident on his phone.
You can view the clip below:
