RYE, New Hampshire — Two boaters were rescued Tuesday after a breaching whale struck their boat, capsizing the vessel and throwing them overboard.
The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern New England said on social media Tuesday afternoon watchstanders were notified of a boat that capsized due to a whale breach approximately a half nautical mile east of Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, New Hampshire.
Video of the incident was quickly shared on social media, depicting a whale breaching from underneath the boat, striking its stern and flipping the vessel onto its side. Taken by Maine residents Colin Yager and his brother Wyatt, the two were fishing early Tuesday morning for striper in the area when they first saw the whale.
Massachusetts residents Greg Paquette and Ryland Kenney were thrown from the boat as the vessel capsized.
"I just heard him yell, 'Woah!' And I turn around and by the time I see it, the whale's head is coming down on the engine," Paquette recalled.
The Yager brothers then swooped in to rescue both Paquette and Kenney from the water, showing them in the now viral video they had just shot.
"It was, I don't even know. It was just a moment of shock like, it kind of felt unreal," Paquette recalled about watching the incident unfold.
No injuries were reported.
In a social media post, the Coast Guard provided a link to download the mayday audio of the distress call from the incident.
Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor responded to the incident and reported the whale did not appear to be injured. The Center of Coastal Studies Marine Animal Hotline and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was reportedly made aware of the incident.
A spokesperson for NOAA says there is now an ongoing investigation on the incident.
The boat involved in the incident has been salvaged, according to the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard is urging the public to report whale sightings to your local command center at the following phone numbers: Northern New England at 207-767-0320, Boston at 833-449-0539, and Southeast New England at 508-457-3211.