Firefighters Get Sunk on July 4 Harbor Duty

The mission to keep others safe on the water turned into a rescue of the rescuers off New Jersey on Thursday. A Carteret Fire Department boat heading home from a July 4 security detail near the Statue of Liberty sank after a whale surfaced directly beneath it at the entrance to Raritan Bay, officials say, per the New York Post. The impact from the breaching whale heavily damaged the stern, and the marine unit had only seconds to abandon ship before it went under, according to Carteret's mayor.

All firefighters, already in life jackets, ended up in the water but were quickly picked up by a nearby jet skier and a recreational boater, then transferred to Perth Amboy fire boats. No injuries to the crew were reported, and it's unclear whether the whale was hurt. The department called the incident an unimaginable scenario for a unit that trains to save others, saying members were shaken but grateful to be going home to their families. Nearby boaters had reported seeing a pod of whales in the area before and after the collision, per News 12.