Australian man crushed by whale in freak accident

The 18-year-old man was taken to hospital with a broken neck and severe head injuries, and remains in a coma

File: A humpback whale seen fluking outside Sydney Heads on 23 June, 2011 in Australia (Getty Images)

An 18-year-old man from Australia’s New South Wales was crushed by a whale in a freak accident in waters off Narooma town on Sunday.

Friends Nick and Matt were fishing when a whale landed on the deck of their boat – injuring them both.

Nick was taken to a hospital in Canberra with a broken neck and severe head injuries. He is still in a coma. Matt was treated for a concussion and facial lacerations.

Family friend Carmen Bartley has started a GoFundMe fundraiser to help cover Nick’s medical expenses. In the appeal, she wrote that the two “had no warning and no idea the whale was nearby”.

She said at this stage, it’s not clear when Nick will wake up, or how the injuries have affected his brain.

A statement by the family said the teen’s future is uncertain at this time, but that “we are already feeling the financial sting of having to live away from our home,” according to 7news.

The NSW police said paramedics met the vessel at the boat ramp and treated both men before taking them to hospital.

An investigation has been launched into the incident. Police have also issued a public safety warning as migration season sees scores of whales coming to NSW waters.

Marine area commander Superintendent Joe McNulty said that while “inquiries are in their infancy, the incident demonstrates the dangers these mammals can pose to those on the water”.

Superintendent McNulty said that the number of whales migrating north has dramatically increased in recent days, and maritime authorities have received reports that they’re travelling closer to the coast than in previous years.

The police said that it’s believed the whale may have also been injured during the incident, and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is working with Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) to ensure assistance is provided, if required.