11 injured after duck boat overturns near entrance to Charles River

Key Points:

• Eleven people were injured, including one seriously, after a Boston Duck Tours vehicle overturned on a ramp near the Charles River in Cambridge around 3 p.m. Saturday; all occupants were accounted for and no one fell into the water.
• The incident occurred when the tow rope broke while the boat, named Molly Mollasses, was being towed on the ramp, causing it to roll onto its side; Boston Duck Tours has suspended operations for the day and is cooperating with Massachusetts State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard in the investigation.
• Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud bang and saw passengers exiting the boat with visible scratches and bleeding; emergency responders confirmed one person sustained serious injuries.
• This event follows a previous fatal incident involving a Boston duck boat in 2016, when a duck boat struck a scooter rider, resulting in one death and one injury; the driver was subsequently barred from operating duck boats.
• Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the tow rope failure and whether towing the boat with passengers aboard was appropriate, while the overturned duck boat remains on its side near the Museum of Science.