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NYC Ferry Crashes Into Docked Barge, Shattering Windows
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published May 14, 2021
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Daniel Beadle
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published May 14, 2021
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Dozens of riders were forced to evacuate from a city ferry on Thursday night, after the boat crashed into the bow of a docked barge at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
The impact shattered some of the ferry's windows, and sent passengers scurrying to don their life jackets. "I told you we shouldn't have gotten on this ferry," one rider can be heard lamenting. "It wasn't meant to be."
None of the 27 riders aboard the boat at the time were injured, according to U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer John Hightower. The boat's captain told the agency that flooding tides had pushed the ferry into the barge.
Daniel Beadle, a 25-year-old software developer, was eating dinner at Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pier 6 when he heard a siren coming from the ferry at around 8:30 p.m.
"There was a small crowd forming on land," Beadle said. "The ferry appeared to be stuck by currents and pinned against a moored construction barge."
Daniel Beadle
While the cracking of some windows created a disconcerting sound, other layers of the windows remained in tact, Beadle noted.
"If anything the ferry’s stability and resilience impressed me," he said. "I have no fear of taking the window seat in the future."
A spokesperson for the New York City Economic Development Corporation, which operates the ferry system, did not return a request for comment.
As of Friday morning, the boat was undergoing repairs at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, according to the Coast Guard.
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Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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