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A fisherman off Queensland’s Gold Coast has suffered serious injuries after he was slapped across the face by the whip of a whale’s tail.
The 40-year-old man reportedly did not know where the whale was until it appeared in front of him and collided with his boat near the border between Queensland and New South Wales.
He was then knocked unconscious by a whack of the whale’s tail, but was remarkably not knocked off the boat and remained on board after being struck.
After the man’s friend on board and nearby jetski riders called the emergency services, rescue teams were able to locate the men and bring them back to shore.
The fisherman was taken to the Gold Coast University Hospital and treated for serious injuries to his face and spine.
Queensland emergency services said he is now in stable condition but couldn’t remember the event.
The ambulance service described the incident as “extremely rare” and “extraordinary”.
“We’ve had boats come in contact with whales before, but not actually a person sitting in a boat,” first responder Scott Brown told local news.
“You have a little bit of disbelief that it happened at first, but respond nonetheless, and when we got there, that’s what we found had happened,” he told ABC News.
Humpback and southern right whales pass via Sydney as they migrate along Australia’s east coast to head north during the coldest months of June and July, and return south between September and November.
During this time people are also more likely to take their boats out into deeper water as there are favourable weather conditions.
Officials urged people to remain alert when they go fishing or boating during the whale season and to always wear life jackets when travelling on boats in the area.
“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,” Mr Brown said.
