Five people died after a boat hit a whale and sank

A whale is believed to have gotten under the boat and capsized, killing five people.

Eleven people were on board at the time, six of whom landed safely in Kaikoura, New Zealand.

Two people were reported dead this morning, but three are still missing. Now they are also confirmed dead.

It is a popular area for whale watching, but the capsized boat was a chartered fishing boat.

According to staff reports, a group of women bird lovers in their 50s were on board.

The city’s mayor, Craig McCrea, said during the search that the water was “cold as blood”, which is not a good result for those who fell overboard.

He said the water was so calm that it is believed a whale jumped out from under the boat and capsized it.

There were a few sperm whales in the area and a few humpback whales passing by, but we weren’t sure what type of whale hit the 8.5m boat.

The mayor added that he had considered the possibility of ship-whale collisions in the past, given frequent whale sightings in the area.

“I always thought it could happen,” he said, adding that he had not heard of any previous accidents.

While locals have been busy with rescue efforts, he said the atmosphere in town was “sad” as they waited for news of missing people.

Police said they were still investigating the cause of the crash.

Sergeant Matt Boyce told reporters at the scene: “This is a tragic event and police are supporting those involved during this extremely difficult time.”

The accident happened on Saturday morning near the South Island city, about 110 miles northeast of Christchurch.

Vanessa Chapman told news staff that she and a group of friends were monitoring the Goose Bay rescue effort.

According to him, when he reached the observation point, he saw a man sitting on an overturned boat and waving.

He said two rescue helicopters and a third local helicopter were hovering overhead before two divers jumped out.

One person on the boat was rescued and another was pulled from the water.

Rescuers brought the sunken ship to shore.

Kaikoura is popular for whale watching because the seabed drops off sharply from the shore, creating deep water just offshore.

Many companies offer boat and helicopter tours so tourists can see whales, dolphins, and other marine creatures up close.

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