Australian windsurfer Jason Breen experienced an unexpected and terrifying wipeout on Wednesday.
Breen, 55, was coasting in Sydney when a whale sprung out of the water and slammed into him.
"I saw the head come out, then I saw the rest of the body come out and then I saw the whole thing above me," Breen told Australia's 7News. "About that stage, I've got to be honest, I thought I was in trouble."
Breen struggled underwater before his arm strap snapped and he finally reached the surface again.
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"The whole time under the water, you can just feel the mass of it pressing against your body and pushing you down," he said.
He said the arm strap is not meant to break at all, but in this instance, it may have saved his life.