A kayaker has shared his thoughts during a terrifying encounter after being ‘swallowed by a whale’.
According to local reports, a young man was kayaking in the waters of Bahía El Águila, located south of Punta Arenas in Chile, when a whale unintentionally swallowed him along with his kayak.
Despite how dire the situation sounds, Adrian Simancas astonishingly survived the frightening incident, and his father managed to capture the event on camera while staying composed.
The remarkable video depicts Adrian calmly navigating the water when a whale suddenly emerged, causing him to disappear beneath the waves.
Moments later, Adrian resurfaced, clinging to his yellow kayak, to everyone’s astonishment.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Adrian described his thoughts during the ordeal.
“I thought it had already eaten me and swallowed me,” he recounted.
“Initially, I thought I was done for. It was pure terror, thinking there was nothing I could do.”
Adrian continued: “When I emerged and started floating, I worried about my father’s safety too, fearing we wouldn’t reach the shore in time or that I might get hypothermia.”
Adrian was kayaking with his father, Dell Simancas, in the Magallanes region’s bay when the incident occurred, involving what was likely a humpback whale. The whale swallowed and then quickly expelled Adrian.
Dell played a vital role in ensuring his son’s safety, calmly using a rope to pull him to shore.
“I lost sight of Adrian for a few seconds, which was frightening. When I turned, he was nowhere to be seen,” Dell said.
“Those few seconds were terrifying, but then he suddenly reappeared.”
In the viral video, Dell is heard giving Adrian instructions, urging him to ‘stay calm’ and ‘grab the boat’ as the whale made another brief appearance before vanishing below the surface.
“Stay calm, stay calm, I’m coming,” Dell reassured his son as he approached to hand him the rope.
Adrian remarked to his father: “I thought [it] had swallowed me.”
This incredible story fortunately concluded with a positive outcome.