Whale Sinks Fire Dept. Boat Returning Home After July 4 Parade
The Carteret Fire Department in New Jersey had lent its Marine Unit 2 to aid with the security detail in New York Harbor on July 4. The vessel was spotted patrolling in the harbor and participating in the spectacle for America’s 250th birthday.
After the event had wound down on Saturday afternoon, the boat and its crew were heading back to their base in New Jersey. Around 4:30 p.m. local time, they were near the mouth of Raritan Bay south of the Arthur Kill.
Earlier in the day, the Marine unit was on patrol with a tall ship in the background
A recreational boater in the area said they had seen a pod of whales. From time to time, the whales were surfacing or breaching the water.
CFD Marine 2 reportedly shook violently, and the crew believes it was stuck under the stern by a surfacing whale. As they relayed the story, their boat sustained significant damage and almost immediately began to sink.
The crew was following safety regulations, and each had on their required life jackets. They were forced to immediately go into the water as their boat was sinking out from under them.
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A jet ski operator in the area who saw the incident rushed toward the crew in the water. Another boater also went to their aid, and the Perth Amboy Fire Department crew was also able to reach the crew in the water.
The three aided in fishing the crew out of the water with no reports of injuries. But they had a whale of a tale to tell.