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5 Boaters Dead in Apparent Whale Strike in New Zealand

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Six others on a bird-watching excursion were rescued in New Zealand.

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Matthijs Photography/Getty

Five people on a bird-watching excursion were killed when their boat flipped over, apparently after being struck by a whale, in New Zealand. Six others were rescued after the 28-foot charter vessel capsized in Kaikōura, a popular whale-watching area. “It always plays on your mind that it could happen,” Kaikōura Mayor Craig Mackle told the Associated Press. Although officials don’t know for sure what caused the tragedy, they said the water was completely calm and sperm and humpback whales were in the area at the time.

Read it at Associated Press

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