The incident happened at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, as Carteret Fire Department Marine Unit 2 was returning to waters after conducting a regional marine security detail for the Port of New York and New Jersey, Mayor Dan Reiman said.
The whale surfaced beneath the stern of the boat south of the Arthur Kill at the mouth of Raritan Bay. The impact caused catastrophic damage, and the vessel immediately began taking on water, forcing everyone aboard into the water, Reiman said.
All firefighters were rescued safely, and no injuries were reported, Reiman said. A nearby recreational vessel reported seeing a pod of whales breaching the water before and after the collision, Reiman said. The incident remains under review, Reiman said
Reiman credited a recreational jet ski operator, another boater and the Perth Amboy Fire Department Marine Unit with rescuing the firefighters from the channel.
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“Though the CFD trains to rescue civilians from the water, fires and car accidents, something like this certainly leaves an impression and a person a bit shaken,” Reiman said, adding that firefighters were wearing life jackets, which helped keep them safe until rescuers arrived.