In an incident that has left viewers with their mouths open, a Chilean father captured the heart-stopping moment when a whale nearly swallowed his 24-year-old son whole during a kayaking excursion.
The dramatic video, shared on social media by a local news outlet, shows the massive animal suddenly erupting from the water and engulfing the young man along with his kayak while his father desperately moves to try and save him.
“Stay calm! Stay calm! I’m coming!” The father is heard saying, fearing for the life of his son, Adrián Simancas.
The event took place in the Strait of Magellan, a navigable sea route in Southern Chile that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and whose cold waters regularly attract whales.
A Chilean father recorded the terrifying moment in which a whale nearly swallowed his son during a kayaking trip
Image credits: Whale and Dolphin Conservation
Incredibly, the animal quickly expelled Simancas, leaving him uninjured, if not terrified. His father recorded the entire ordeal as he remained composed while moving his kayak close to his son.
“Hold on to the boat! It’s ok! Grab the boat; don’t try to board it,” the father said, instructing Simancas to grab both his kayak and his own as he rowed to a nearby coast.
“I thought it had swallowed me!” the son said, his voice trembling with fear.
Image credits: chvnoticias
Now, safe and sound, Adrián Simancas was able to recount what went through his mind as the whale attacked him in an interview with local media.
“I felt a strong current out of nowhere, and before I could understand what was happening, I felt something large, blue and white, pass right beside my face,” Simancas explained.
Image credits: chvnoticias
“Immediately afterward, I felt something going above my head and under me, as if I were completely surrounded. Then I sank; everything was dark, and at that point, I thought I had been eaten and that there was nothing more I could do.”
The father's calm attitude was essential in preventing his son from panicking after the animal expelled him, allowing both to move to safety
Image credits: chvnoticias
Simancas was underwater for only two seconds, but to him, it felt like an eternity. As soon as the whale expelled him, his life jacket brought him to the surface, though he was still unable to comprehend what had just happened.
“I had no idea of exactly what it was that attacked me. I only saw shapes in the water, and I started shouting, trying to warn my dad, who was a few meters away from me,” Simancas recounted.
Speaking to the news outlet, the young man explained how his father’s calm and composed attitude was what allowed him to regain his senses and get a handle on the situation.
“When I saw that he was calm and that he was telling me not to be afraid and stay calm, I felt safe,” he said. “That’s the best attitude one can have when faced with an emergency situation.”
Image credits: chvnoticias
The father, Dell Simancas, started recording, wishing to capture the beauty of the currents that surrounded them. However, he realized something was wrong when a strong wave hit him on the back of his kayak—the whale was moving towards his son.
“I felt terrified at first because I couldn’t see my son,” Dell explained. “But as soon as I saw him resurface, and I saw part of the whale, my mind went straight into rescue mode.”
"Super Dad." Netizens praised the father's calm attitude in the middle of such a terrifying situation
