Five people died in New Zealand this Saturday when the small charter boat they were traveling in capsized, according to authorities who point to a collision with a whale as the likely cause of the accident. Eight other people in the boat were rescued.
The 8.5 meter long boat capsized near Kaikoura in the South Island. The mayor of this city, located in the Canterbury region, Craig Maclay, said that the water was calm during the tragic event, so it is believed that a whale may have emerged from the bottom of the boat, because it was so discovered. The area is home to many sperm whales and some humpback whales.
A helicopter flies over an overturned boat off the coast of Kaikoura, New Zealand, sitting on a survival boat.
After the boat capsize, local people have helped the people who were traveling in the boat and the boat capsized. “It always comes to mind what could happen,” the mayor told reporters after commenting that the presence of this type of cetacean is common in the area and that no such accident has occurred in the area in the past.
Some locals who reached the boat’s location minutes after the accident saw a man sitting on the overturned boat waving his arms as two helicopters flew over the area to search for survivors.
tourism
The site of the event is a popular spot for whale watching
Kaikoura is a popular spot for whale watching. The seafloor recedes rapidly from the shore creating deep water. Many companies offer boat or helicopter tours so that tourists can see closely Whales, dolphins and other sea creatures.
New Zealand’s Maritime Enforcement Agency said it would conduct a full investigation into what happened. “The agency offers its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased,” said lead investigator Tracy Phillips.
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