Trapped: Poisoned by Air After Whale Attack

Surviving a whale attack was the easy part; the real killer was the air pocket they were trapped

in. In 2022, a whale rammed and capsized a tour boat in New Zealand.

Five people were trapped alive in an air pocket under the overturned vessel. They banged on the

hull for help as the other survivors on top called for rescue. But the crash had

ruptured a fuel line. The dark, freezing air pocket they were breathing

was slowly filling with toxic gasoline fumes. By the time divers got to them,

it was too late. They didn't drown or freeze; they were poisoned by the very air that

was supposed to save them.