Yachtsman sunk by whale
10/01/2007 08:04  - (SA)  

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Wellington - New Zealand yachtsman Lindsay Wright survived after a giant humpback whale sunk his 9.4m trimaran about 200km off the coast, according to news reports on Wednesday.

Wright, who was sailing the boat from Auckland to his home port New Plymouth on Tuesday, said the whale may have been sleeping on the surface when he hit it.

"He sort of woke up with a start and did a bit of a flick and knocked a big hole in the hull," he told the Taranaki Daily News.

Wright said the whale swam under the boat followed by five others as the boat began to sink.

"You could hear them all talking or clicking," he said.

He activated emergency locator beacons which sent out a mayday call but spent about five hours clinging to the wreckage before a rescue helicopter lifted him to safety.

 

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