Carteret Fireboat Sinks After Whale Strike in Raritan Bay; Crew Rescued Safely

By MES Dispatch Staff

The Briefing

• Carteret Fire Department personnel safely abandoned Marine 2 Saturday afternoon after a surfacing whale struck the fireboat in Raritan Bay south of the Arthur Kill, causing catastrophic damage and forcing the vessel to sink.
• The whale collided with the fireboat around 4:30 p.m. as it returned from Fourth of July marine security patrol operations, with crew members abandoning ship within seconds of impact.
• All firefighters aboard wore required life jackets and were assisted by a jet ski operator and another civilian boater; Perth Amboy Fire Department marine units also provided rescue assistance.
• A jet ski operator reported observing a pod of whales periodically breaching the water before and after the collision with Marine 2.
• Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman stated that no injuries were reported among crew members and credited the quick response of assisting boaters and Perth Amboy marine personnel.

CARTERET, N.J. — Carteret Fire Department personnel safely abandoned the department’s fireboat Marine 2 Saturday afternoon after a surfacing whale struck the vessel in Raritan Bay, causing the watercraft to sink.

The collision occurred south of the Arthur Kill at the mouth of Raritan Bay at approximately 4:30 p.m. The fireboat was returning from Fourth of July marine security patrol operations when the whale surfaced and struck the vessel. The impact caused catastrophic damage to Marine 2, and the boat began taking on water immediately.

Crew members were forced to abandon the fireboat within seconds of the collision. All personnel aboard were wearing required life jacket safety equipment at the time of the strike.

A jet ski operator near the incident witnessed the collision and immediately assisted the crew in the water. A second civilian boater also provided assistance to the firefighters. The Perth Amboy Fire Department marine unit responded to the scene and assisted in removing the Carteret firefighters from the water.

Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman issued a statement following the incident: “All fire personnel are safe, and no injuries have been reported. The crew were wearing their required life jackets. We commend the jet ski operator and the other boater for aiding our crew, and we are grateful for the Perth Amboy Fire Department marine unit for fishing our guys out of the channel.”

According to the jet ski operator, a pod of whales was observed periodically breaching the water both before and after the collision with Marine 2. The circumstances of the whale’s surfacing and the exact cause of the collision remain under investigation.

Mayor Reiman acknowledged the unusual nature of the incident, stating that while Carteret firefighters train extensively to rescue civilians from water, structural fires, and automobile accidents, an encounter with marine wildlife presented an unfamiliar emergency situation. “Something like this certainly leaves an impression and a person a bit shaken,” Reiman said.