Two men seriously injured after whale hits boat off WA coast
Two boaties have been seriously hurt after a whale hit their vessel.
Emergency services were alerted to the incident about 18km off the Kalbarri coast, shortly before 7pm on Tuesday.
Crews from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services were deployed to the scene to escort the boat to shore.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.A St John WA spokeswoman confirmed that a 69-year-old man had been critically injured and had been taken to Kalbarri Hospital.
He was transferred to Royal Perth Hospital overnight, where he remains in the emergency department receiving treatment.
A 39-year-old man was also badly hurt. He was taken to Geraldton Hospital.
The bizarre incident comes after the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development issued a shark warning for the Kalbarri coast because an injured whale was attracting the predators.
The whale was spotted at the popular surf break Jakes Corner about 9:28am on Tuesday.
The department said the whale was attracting sharks and it was possible they could come nearer the shore along the Shire of Northampton coast.
It said anyone using the stretch of ocean should exercise caution.
DPIRD officers and staff from other agencies were monitoring the situation and would provide any relevant alerts.
The beach at Jakes Corner has been closed. It is not known when it will be reopened.
