​​​​​​​This information is preliminary and subject to change.

​On June 27, 2026, about 1500 local time (Eastern Daylight), the amphibious small passenger vessel (duck boat) Molly Molasses, owned and operated by Boston Duck Tours, was operating on the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts, with 32 passengers and 2 crew members aboard, when it lost electrical power and propulsion. A second amphibious small passenger vessel, the Longfellow Bridget, arrived and towed the disabled vessel to a boat ramp on the west side of the Charles River. While the vessel was being pulled up the incline of the ramp, the tow rope parted. The Molly Molasses rolled backward on the ramp, veered sideways, and ultimately tipped onto its port side near the waterline.

Shoreside rescue personnel and crew members from the Molly Molasses and Longfellow Bridget cut the vessel’s canopy to facilitate a rapid evacuation of the 34 persons on board. Eight people sustained minor injuries, including one crew member. 

The Coast Guard determined that this accident did not meet the criteria for a major marine casualty. The Coast Guard will lead the investigation, and the NTSB will investigate and determine the probable cause under the authority of 49 United States Code 1131(a)(1)(f)(ii) - (the accident involves problems of a recurring character).