Whale Sinks N.J. Fire Department's Boat as Firefighters Scramble to Escape
Officials said everyone aboard escaped safely after the whale strike forced the rescue boat to sink within seconds.
- On Saturday, July 4, a whale surfaced directly beneath a Carteret Fire Department Marine Unit boat in Raritan Bay, capsizing and sinking the vessel while the crew provided security for a local "Parade of Ships."
- Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman said the boat was conducting a "special operation marine security detail" when it "was violently and suddenly struck under the stern by a surfacing whale," noting a pod had breached earlier.
- The vessel suffered "catastrophic" damage, forcing all firefighters to abandon ship within seconds; a jet skier and the Perth Amboy Marine Unit rescued the uninjured crew wearing life jackets.
- On Facebook, Reiman stated, "The boat immediately took on water, and all firefighters aboard had to immediately abandon the boat within seconds of the strike," while the whale's injury status remains unreported.
- Similar whale encounters have struck New Jersey waters: an August 2025 incident involved a 20-foot whale in Barnegat Bay, and a 2020 collision off Seaside Park sent two people from a 25-foot boat into the water.
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'Massive' unidentified whale sends New Jersey fire rescue boat to the seabed in seconds
A New Jersey Fire Rescue boat is now lying on the bottom of Raritan Bay after a freak accident involving a gigantic whale. As reported by the NY Post, Carteret Fire Department Marine Unit 2 had been called up for security duty during the 250th anniversary celebrations near the Statue of Liberty. All seemed normal and the waters were clear. Then, at around 4:30 pm the ship suddenly violently shook. The cause was initially unknown, though the ship…
The spokesman-Review
USA TodayWhale sinks New Jersey firefighters' boat, sending crew overboard
As New Jersey firefighters returned from a Saturday security patrol, a breaching whale erupted beneath their boat, leaving them only seconds to escape before it began taking on water. The incident unfolded on Saturday at around 4:30 p.m. local time, south of the Arthur Kill at the mouth of Raritan Bay off of Staten Island’s South Shore, according to the Carteret Fire Department & EMS Division. A marine unit was heading back to Carteret waters after assisting with a routine regional security detail in the New York and New Jersey Port area.
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