A WHALE struck a boat off the coast of eastern Australia today, killing one man and injuring another.

The two men were on the boat when it was hit and flipped at about 6am local time (2000 GMT) in the waters off La Perouse, 14km southeast of Sydney, police said.

The first man was pulled from the water unconscious and died at the scene. The second was treated by paramedics and is in stable condition in hospital.

The collision was “a tragic accident”, Water Police acting superintendent Siobhan Munro said in comments reported by public broadcaster ABC.

She said the whale had breached near or possibly onto the small “run about” boat.

“Right now there are lots of whales out there and there are lots of examples of whales breaching next to boats,” she added.

It comes less than two weeks after a 4m humpback whale was struck in the head by a boat propeller off the coast of Western Australia. – AFP, September 30, 2023.