In a bizarre and unexpected incident off the coast of New Hampshire, two separate fishing boats were capsized by a whale within hours of each other. The first incident occurred around 7:30 am on July 24, 2024, when Gregg Paquette and Ryland Kenney from Groveland and Dover respectively were fishing off the coast of Rye, New Hampshire. Suddenly, a whale breached out of the water and landed on their boat with such force that it capsized and threw both men into the ocean.
The second incident occurred later in the day when brothers Wyatt Yager, 16, and Colin Yager, 19 from Maine were fishing for striped bass near Portsmouth. They too were surprised by a breaching whale that landed on their boat and capsized it. Both men managed to swim to safety.
The Coast Guard was notified of both incidents and responded with crews from Portsmouth to assist the stranded boaters. Tow Boat US also arrived at the scene and righted the vessels, towed them back to shore, and ensured that neither man was injured.
According to reports, whales are common in New Hampshire waters between June and August. The cause of these incidents is currently unknown but investigations are ongoing.
Despite the shocking events, both sets of boaters were grateful for their quick rescue and expressed relief that they had been unharmed. They also expressed admiration for the power and size of the whales involved.
The Coast Guard advises all mariners to exercise caution when encountering whales in New Hampshire waters and to maintain a safe distance from these magnificent creatures.
