Fisherman Hospitalized After Being Slapped In The Face By A Whale Tail

A fisherman has been hospitalized after coming face-to-tail with a whale in the waters south of Brisbane, Australia.

The accident took place about a kilometer (0.6 miles) away from the Tweed Heads bar at around 8:40 am on Sunday, August 18. At the time, the man was fishing with a friend on a small boat when the massive animal surfaced. Neither fisherman was aware of its presence until it appeared and struck one of them in face with its tail, knocking the individual unconscious.

Queensland Ambulance Service’s (QAS) Scott Brown, one of the first responders on the scene, described it as an “extremely rare” event.

"Just two guys having a morning fish, and then all of a sudden, a whale's tail appeared, striking one in the head," Brown told ABC News .

"We've had boats come in contact with whales before, but not actually a person sitting in a boat.”

The man apparently sustained superficial injuries and cannot remember the event itself. His friend was able to help him and quickly called for support.

A rescue crew from Volunteers Marine Rescue, water police, and paramedics found the men and brought them back to shore. The paramedics were able to “nurse” the patient in the dinghy until QAS were able to take over, Brown explained.

The man was taken to the Gold Coast University Hospital where he was in a stable condition.

It is currently unclear which species of whale was involved in the incident, but some have speculated that it may have been a humpback whale, which are currently migrating along Australia’s east coast. There is also a chance that it was a southern right whale, which are also migrating along the Queensland coast around this time of year.

In July this year, a humpback whale capsized a boat off the coast of the Eastern United States when it suddenly breached. No one was hurt, but it sent two people flying into the water when it surfaced.

Brown has urged anyone out in boats to be alert, especially during the whale season.

“Just be cautious that there are a lot of whales at this time of year in that area, and today has shown us that anything can happen."