A fireboat returning to port after providing security for Fourth of July festivities capsized after being struck by a surfacing whale off the coast of New Jersey on Saturday.
A boat operated by New Jersey's Carteret Fire Department (CFD) was returning from the New York and New Jersey Port area when it was struck beneath the stern by a whale breaching the surface of the water in Raritan Bay at around 16:30 local time.
The CFD said the boat suffered catastrophic damage from the strike, which then caused it to immediately take on water.
The CFD personnel, who were all wearing lifejackets, were safely rescued shortly afterwards by a Good Samaritan boater and an individual on a jetski. No injuries have been reported.
The department said the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under review, and additional information will be shared as it becomes available.
A pod of whales was observed breaching the water both before and after the incident, the CFD said.
