Whale strikes, sinks New Jersey fireboat, giving crew seconds to abandon ship

NEW JERSEY – The return from a routine regional security detail turned into a race for survival over the holiday weekend when a surfacing whale hit and sank a Carteret Fire Department (CFD) vessel.  The vessel suffered catastrophic damage and rapidly began taking on water, leaving firefighters aboard only seconds to escape. A Carteret Fire Department marine vessel was returning from a routine regional security detail when it was struck by a breaching whale on July 4.  (Carteret Fire Department & EMS Division / Facebook) According to the Carteret Fire Department and EMS Division, the incident unfolded around 4:30 p.m. on July 4, south of the Arthur Kill at the mouth of Raritan Bay. Officials said a breaching whale surfaced and “violently struck” beneath the stern of CFD Marine Unit 2.  Officials highlighted that a nearby recreation boat told authorities that they spotted a group of whales surfacing shortly before—and right after—the fireboat went down. VIDEO: MASSIVE GREAT WHITE SHARK FEEDS ON DEAD WHALE OFF THE COAST OF RHODE ISLAND Along with the Perth Amboy Fire Department Marine Unit and FMBA Local 58/258, a nearby recreational jet ski operator and additional boater took action to help the firefighters aboard during the critical
Read More