A city ferry crashed into a docked barge while carrying over two dozen passengers at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6 on Thursday night.
The NYC Ferry smashed into the vessel as the transit boat was attempting to dock at the berth near Atlantic Avenue at 8:35 pm, shattering the ferry’s side windows, according to US Coast Guard Petty Officer John Hightower.
#NYCFerry issues life jackets after appearing to get pinned against a moored barge in the east river while leaving the Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 / Atlantic Ave dock in Brooklyn.
The boat was able to safely return to the dock after a few minutes. pic.twitter.com/Ld483SVYeV
— Daniel 🛰 (@djbeadle) May 14, 2021
Luckily, none of the 27 nautical commuters or three crew members were injured, and the boat suffered no water leakage or punctures below the waterline, according to maritime authorities.
The vessel’s skipper told officials that he was trying to adjust the boat when flooding tides pushed it into the construction barge.
After mooring the damaged watercraft and letting off passengers, ferry workers took it out of service and transferred it to their base at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
The Coast Guard is continuing to investigate the incident, and is attempting to locate the owner of the barge.
A spokesman for the city’s Economic Development Corporation, which oversees the ferry service, said they were looking into the collision.
“Yesterday evening, an NYC Ferry vessel was involved in an incident at Brooklyn Bridge Park / Pier 6. No injuries were reported and all riders safely disembarked. We are reviewing the incident,” said Christopher Singleton in a statement.
