11 injured after duck boat overturns near entrance to Charles River
All occupants accounted for
Jen, we are right by the Museum of Science right now, and you can see that duck boat is still overturned on its side in the Charles right now. The life vests are still dangling from the top of it. They are working to try to figure out how to tow this boat out of the Charles River right now. Now police tell us that this happened just after 3 o’clock this afternoon on this boat ramp. This is near 10 Museum Way. Boston EMS confirms that 11 people were hurt, including one person who was seriously hurt. So the question. How did this happen? Well, according to Boston Duck Tours, the boat was being towed on the ramp, and then the tow rope broke. That made the boat roll on its side. Police say no one ended up in the water and everyone on board, as you mentioned, was accounted for. One woman who was here at the time says that she heard *** big bang and then *** scraping sound and then heard yelling and crying. She saw all those people getting off the boat, and she said many of them looked like they had scratches and were bleeding. One person had like *** lot of blood on them in *** red dress I mean in *** white dress, and most people was wet, so I don’t know if they was inside the water. I don’t know if they fell out of the boat and went inside the water, but most people was wet, so we don’t know, you know, it’s kind of scary. Now I want to read you the official statement that we got from Boston Duck Tours. They say, and I’m quoting here, while being towed on our boat ramp, one of our vehicles rolled on its side when the tow rope broke. As *** precaution, we have suspended operations for the remainder of the day. We are working with the Massachusetts State Police and the US Coast Guard to review this incident. Another look out here live at this boat. You can hear them. They are trying to get the boat off. The ramp, it looks like they’re sawing off the top right now. So many people told us as they were walking by the same thing. They have grown up in this area. They have seen the duck boats so many times. They say they have never ever seen anything like this. We’re live in Cambridge tonight by the Museum of Science, Ariel Metropolis WCVB News Center 5. Arielle, thank you for that. We turn now to our Todd Kaskevich as people planning to take *** tour are now reacting to this, Todd. Jennifer, we’ve been speaking to people who have been coming by to take *** look at the duck boat on its side. This is *** very unusual situation, including *** woman who says she and her husband were planning on taking their grandson on *** tour soon. It is noteworthy that the duck boats have flotation devices. Still, people are concerned about safety issues and practices. State police are on scene, snapping photos and documenting the evidence of this unusual incident. In addition to troopers on scene, members of the public are coming to take *** look as well, including Leslie Cohen. My heart’s palpitating. I feel terrible. I mean, you know, it’s something that I know people come to Boston and it’s the thing to come and do *** duck boat tour, so it’s scary. And this is video of the tow rope that broke, causing the vehicle to roll onto its side. According to Boston Duck Tours. Investigators are focusing on this, and spectators are as well. They want to know not only why the rope broke, but also if the Mali molasses should have been towed with passengers who were on board at the time. That’s part of the ongoing investigation. Reporting live in Cambridge, Todd Koskivich, WCVB News Center 5. Such *** popular activity for so many unusual is the right word to use there, Todd. Thank you. And there was *** deadly crash involving *** Boston duck boat 10 years ago, but no one on board was killed. This video is from 2016. The duck boat was filled with tourists when it hit *** scooter. *** woman on that scooter was killed. Another person was hurt. *** settlement following that crash prevented the driver from working as *** duck boat operator. We are working to learn about exactly what happened here and the people who were hurt. We’ll of course bring you updates tonight both on air and online.
11 injured after duck boat overturns near entrance to Charles River
All occupants accounted for
Updated: 6:27 PM EDT Jun 27, 2026
Eleven people were injured, one seriously, after a duck boat overturned on a ramp near the Charles River Saturday afternoon, the Cambridge Fire Department and Boston EMS confirmed.The incident happened just after 3 p.m. on a boat ramp at 10 Museum Way near the Education Street side of the Charles River in Cambridge, state police said. “While being towed on our boat ramp, one of our vehicles rolled onto its side when the tow rope broke,” Boston Duck Tours Director of Marketing and Sales Tom Vigna said in a statement. “As a precaution, we have suspended operations for the remainder of the day. We are working with Massachusetts State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard to review the incident.” No one ended up in the water as a result of the overturning and all duck boat occupants are accounted for, state police said.One woman told NewsCenter 5 that she heard a big bang and scraping sound and then heard yelling and crying.She later saw people getting off the boat and many of them looked like they had scratches and were bleeding.According to Boston EMS, one of the occupants suffered serious injuries. The duck boat, named Molly Mollasses, was christened in 1999.In 2016, a duck boat was filled with tourists when it hit a woman riding a scooter. The woman was killed and another person was injured.A settlement following that crash prevented the driver from working as a duck boat operator.NewsCenter 5 will continue to provide updates as we learn more information.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. —
Eleven people were injured, one seriously, after a duck boat overturned on a ramp near the Charles River Saturday afternoon, the Cambridge Fire Department and Boston EMS confirmed.
The incident happened just after 3 p.m. on a boat ramp at 10 Museum Way near the Education Street side of the Charles River in Cambridge, state police said.
“While being towed on our boat ramp, one of our vehicles rolled onto its side when the tow rope broke,” Boston Duck Tours Director of Marketing and Sales Tom Vigna said in a statement. “As a precaution, we have suspended operations for the remainder of the day. We are working with Massachusetts State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard to review the incident.”
No one ended up in the water as a result of the overturning and all duck boat occupants are accounted for, state police said.
One woman told NewsCenter 5 that she heard a big bang and scraping sound and then heard yelling and crying.
She later saw people getting off the boat and many of them looked like they had scratches and were bleeding.
According to Boston EMS, one of the occupants suffered serious injuries.
The duck boat, named Molly Mollasses, was christened in 1999.
In 2016, a duck boat was filled with tourists when it hit a woman riding a scooter. The woman was killed and another person was injured.
A settlement following that crash prevented the driver from working as a duck boat operator.
NewsCenter 5 will continue to provide updates as we learn more information.