5 people lost their lives when a boat with bird watchers on it capsized in the capital Goose Bay. Kaikoura, in New Zealand. Witnesses and the mayor said the “unprecedented” accident may have been caused by a fishing vessel colliding with a humpback or sperm whale, which is common in the area at this time of year.
The boat, 8.5 meters long and with 11 people on board, capsized at around 10:00 today (10). While rescue work was carried out in the region, 5 bodies were removed from the ship.
6 people were taken to the Health Center Kaikoura one had to be transferred to Christchurch Hospital for medical evaluation and one as a precaution. All of them are in stable condition, according to the police.
Authorities are working to officially identify the victims and notify their relatives. “No names will be released at this time,” police told local news site RNZ.
Police said the boat capsized after a collision, but could not confirm what it had hit. Mayor Craig Mackle previously said he believed the boat had collided with a whale.
“We have a boat that was capsized by a whale, which we understand went under. We have closed the port so that the authorities can continue to operate,” he said at a press conference.
Mackle said that a log would not cause the ship to capsize, as some would argue, as it would make a hole in the hull rather than capsize the ship.
Whales approaching the harbor
Police said they were still trying to determine the cause of the accident and declined to comment on whether a whale was responsible. “Whales live here, and yes, they’re approaching the port,” Mackle said.
According to the mayor, there was a group of women over 50 on the boat and he said the sea was calm and free of waves. A video posted on social media shows the boat flipping over while passengers sit on top.
Tour company Whale Watch, Kaikourarecently encountered humpback whales in the area. A post on social media shows two humpback whales approaching one of their boats last week.
The company said their ships are normally 50 meters away from the whales, but two of the animals were very interested in one of the boats and came within a few meters. The captain turned off the engines, but it took 40 minutes to get away from the whales safely.
source: Noticias
