Cambridge Duck Boat Tips Over, Injuring 11 After Tow Rope Snaps With 31 Aboard

Q: What critical failure disabled the duck boat, turning a standard tow into a dangerous rollover with eleven injuries?

The critical failure was the tow rope snapping while the disabled duck boat was being pulled up the ramp. According to Boston Duck Tours and authorities, the boat had already been disabled by mechanical trouble in the water, making a tow necessary. But the immediate failure that turned that routine recovery into an accident was the break in the line connecting the two duck boats. Once the rope gave way, the disabled vehicle lost control on the incline and rolled onto its side. That rollover injured 11 of the 31 people aboard, with one person seriously hurt and taken to Massachusetts General Hospital after being extricated. Witnesses reported hearing a loud crash, and officials said no one ended up in the water. A former duck boat captain said towing a disabled vehicle is a common procedure, which underscores that the dangerous moment was not the tow itself but the failure of the towing connection during the ramp ascent. Boston Duck Tours suspended service for the rest of the day, and the company, Massachusetts State Police, and the U.S. Coast Guard are reviewing both the original mechanical problem and the rope failure.

3 articles · Updated · The Boston Globe · Jun 27

Eleven people were injured — one seriously — when a duck boat rolled onto its side around 3 p.m. on a ramp at 10 Museum Way in Cambridge.
Authorities said the vehicle had mechanical trouble in the Charles River and was being pulled ashore by another duck boat when the tow rope snapped, triggering the tip-over.
Boston EMS said one person had to be extricated and was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital; first responders reported mostly bumps and bruises among the 31 people aboard.
Boston Duck Tours suspended operations for the rest of the day and said it was reviewing the incident with Massachusetts State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The accident adds to scrutiny of the tourist vehicles after a Boston Duck Tours duck boat struck and injured a 62-year-old woman in a downtown crosswalk in May.