Boston Duck Tours Boat Injures 11 After Tow Rope Snaps on Charles River Ramp

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 · Boston Herald · Jun 27

Eleven passengers were injured after a Boston Duck Tours vessel tipped onto its side on a ramp near 10 Museum Way in Cambridge on Saturday afternoon.
The amphibious boat had broken down on the Charles River and was being towed to shore when the tow rope broke, causing the disabled vessel to roll over.
Authorities said the boat was carrying 31 or 32 people; Cambridge police initially reported six injuries, including two more serious cases, before state police raised the total to 11.
Boston Duck Tours suspended operations for the rest of the day and said it is reviewing the incident with Massachusetts State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard.