A Montauk fisherman who said he’s been fishing off the coast of Block Island for years describes an encounter with a whale that put a hole in his boat and sent his friend overboard.
Bill Speth has been fishing off the coast of Block Island for years.
And while he's seen whales, he never imagined he'd get quite so close to one.
The Montauk, New York, fisherman said while he was out on the water just south of Block Island on Sunday, a whale hit his boat, puncturing it and sending his friend overboard.
"We had no idea what happened," Speth said. "We knew the whales were around, but it was just crazy."
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He said his friend fell right on top of the whale, but he was eventually able to help him get back onto the boat. Another nearby fisherman also came to lend assistance after hearing the call on the radio.
Now, Speth is just hoping to get his boat repaired so he can get back out o the water.
Experts say if boaters do see whales getting close to their boats, the best thing to do is put the boat in neutral and wait for them to head out.
