At least nine tour boat passengers were injured in downtown Chicago yesterday afternoon after a boat crashed into a dock. NBC Chicago reports that the accident happened around 5:30 at the 400 block of North Michigan Avenue.
Boat tours are a popular way for tourists to explore Chicago. Many tourists were on the boat at the time of the crash and other visitors witnessed the crash from the dock.
“There was just a big ‘boom,’ and then the next thing I saw, I saw all the chairs that were flying and people were laying down on the top end,” a Canadian tourist told reporters. She is visiting from Toronto and witnessed the crash from near the dock.
We asked the captain what happened and he said the reverse engine wouldn’t start,” said a Mexican tourist who was a passenger on the boat. “He couldn’t stop the ship.”
It is unclear whether the engine failure was the result of poor boat maintenance or a manufacturing defect. About 150 people were on the Wendella Boat Tours boat, which is called “The Lila.” It us also unknown whether this boat tour company has a history of similar crashes.
The Chicago Tribune reports that two people were taken to nearby hospitals in “fair to serious” condition and seven people were taken to the hospital in good condition. About 11 people at the scene refused treatment for personal injuries.
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