11 Injured as Duck Boat Overturns Near Boston Museum
Eleven people were injured, one seriously, when a Boston Duck Tour amphibious vehicle overturned on a boat ramp near the Museum of Science in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Saturday afternoon. The incident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. EDT when the vehicle, named “Molly Mollasses,” experienced a mechanical issue on the Charles River and was being towed back to shore by another duck boat when the tow rope snapped, causing it to roll backward and tip onto its side, according to Fox News.
The Incident
The duck boat broke down while on the Charles River near the Lynch Family Skate Park. A second duck boat attempted to tow the disabled vessel up the boat ramp at 10 Museum Way when the tow line failed. The vehicle rolled backward and tipped over, trapping one person inside who required extrication by emergency crews.
Massachusetts State Police spokesperson Sarah Burgess confirmed the sequence of events, telling Boston.com that the duck boat broke down on the Charles and was being pulled up the boat ramp by another duck boat when the tow rope snapped, causing the vehicle to overturn.
Injuries and Response
Cambridge Police classified two injuries as “more serious,” while the remainder were minor. One person was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) after being trapped inside the overturned vehicle. As of Sunday, MGH confirmed that all three patients they received had been discharged.
A large emergency response was mobilized, including Massachusetts State Police, Cambridge Police, Cambridge Fire Department, Boston EMS, and the State Police Marine Unit. None of the passengers ended up in the water, authorities confirmed.
Witness Gwyn Svec, visiting from Ohio, told CBS Boston that there were no seat belts on the vehicle, causing passengers to tumble onto each other when it tipped. “It was creepy, eerie, scary,” Svec said. “Our boat driver rushed off the boat to help them.” Another witness, Kiana Morris, described seeing “a lot of people crying walking past me.”
Operations Suspended
Boston Duck Tours suspended operations for the remainder of the day as a precaution. Spokesperson Thomas Vigna stated that the company is “working with Massachusetts State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard to review the incident.”
The duck boat involved, “Molly Mollasses,” was christened in 1999, making it 27 years old at the time of the accident. Former Boston Duck Tours captain Peggy Lecce told the Boston Globe that while breakdowns and towing are part of standard training, Saturday’s rollover was unprecedented. “They’ve never had an accident on the water like this,” Lecce said. “Ducks will break down, and we tow each other out. That’s part of our training.”
Broader Safety Concerns
Saturday’s incident is the latest in a series of accidents involving Boston Duck Tours. In May 2026, a 62-year-old woman was injured when struck by a duck boat in a downtown crosswalk. In 2016, a 29-year-old woman was killed while riding a motor scooter near Boston Common, prompting Massachusetts to require blind-spot cameras, proximity sensors, and separate tour guides on the vehicles.
Nationally, duck boats have a well-documented history of deadly incidents. The most catastrophic occurred in 2018 on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri, where 17 people died when a duck boat sank during a severe storm. In 1999, 13 people died in a similar sinking on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The National Transportation Safety Board has repeatedly warned about design flaws in these World War II-era amphibious vehicles, including inadequate buoyancy and canopies that impede escape.
Investigation and Outlook
Massachusetts State Police is leading the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard and Boston Duck Tours. The specific mechanical issue that caused the initial breakdown remains unclear.
The incident renews scrutiny of the safety of amphibious tourist vehicles, particularly regarding towing procedures, mechanical reliability, and passenger restraint systems. With 11 injuries and a history of fatal accidents nationwide, the accident may prompt renewed calls for federal safety standards or operational changes for aging duck boat fleets across the country.