Boy, 13, survives whale tail whack

27 Jun 2011, 2:55 pm   -   Source: AAP
Humpback whales are currently migrating north along the east coast of Australia to breeding grounds in warmer waters. (AAP)

Humpback whales are currently migrating north along the east coast of Australia to breeding grounds in warmer waters. (AAP)

A 13-year-old NSW boy was knocked out and suffered a broken collarbone after a humpback whale swept its tail across the boat he was on.

A 13-year-old NSW boy was knocked out and suffered a broken collarbone after a humpback whale swept its tail across the boat he was on.

Draw Hall, from Maclean near Grafton in the state's north, was fishing with his parents near Brooms Head on Sunday morning when a pod surfaced nearby.

One of the mammals lifted its tail and swept it over the five-metre long boat from bow to stern, hitting Drew, The Daily Examiner reported on Monday.

"I was sitting backwards in the boat looking at Drew and the tail just whacked him and sent him flying," his mother Karen told the newspaper.

Karen said the whale's tail destroyed the boat's windscreen but missed her, before she scrambled to the unconscious Drew.

"I thought Drew was dead," she said.

"It took about five minutes before we could get him to move or make a noise."

Drew was taken to Maclean Hospital where he was found to have a broken collarbone and bumps on his head and chest, the paper said.

Humpback whales are currently migrating north along the east coast of Australia to breeding grounds in warmer waters.

The whales can grow to 16 metres in length and weigh up to 36,000kg.

Vessels are warned to travel carefully at low speeds and stay at least 100 metres away from surfacing whales, although a curious whale will sometimes approach a boat.

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