A party aboard a luxury yacht on the Hudson River ended with dozens injured Saturday afternoon after the vessel collided with a pier in Upper Manhattan, according to city officials and law enforcement sources.
The yacht, named Timeless, was attempting to dock near West 125th Street and the Henry Hudson Parkway at approximately 4:18 pm when a mooring line snapped, causing it to slam into the dock, officials said. The impact injured dozens of passengers, many of whom were gathered at the disembarkation area, preparing to leave.
“Some people are coming down the stairs and the boat just ran into the dock. And so they fell, there was no support, nothing for them to grab onto. Some people fell inside of the boat. A lot of people were hurt really badly,” said Zytin King, according to the New York Post. The lifelong New Yorker was celebrating her 69th birthday onboard.
Emergency responders said about 35 individuals suffered minor injuries, with 23 transported to nearby hospitals for further evaluation. No one was thrown into the water, according to sources.
“I fell onto my mother when the boat crashed,” said one of King’s relatives. “It all happened so fast.”
Passengers were escorted off the yacht following the collision, with some seen being assisted in wheelchairs.
“I heard people going to the ambulance saying, we are hurt, but we had a good time,” said Delores Mitchell, 69, who oversaw catering for the event.
Despite the crash, King said her celebration would continue in Harlem. “The DJ is over there already,” she said. “We were blessed because people were standing along the side of the boat so when it hit, they could have gone over, but they didn’t.”
The Timeless is the largest vessel in the Empire Cruises fleet, featuring three bars and a climate-controlled indoor deck. It has a passenger capacity of up to 550, according to the company’s website.
