A Lake Champlain ferry crashed Friday as it came into its dock at the Vermont shore, injuring three, authorities said. According to the ferry company, the boat was not slowing down as it approached the landing and the captain crashed the ferry into the pilings.
Sgt. Tara Thomas, a spokeswoman for the Vermont State Police, said the boat’s engines had shut down due to mechanical failure when the crash occurred shortly before 6 p.m. The ferry company has not confirmed that information.
The company said the three people who were injured were taken to a local hospital as a precaution.
State Rep. Mitzi Johnson of neighboring South Hero, a member of that town’s rescue squad, said other members had been called to the scene of the ferry crash. Johnson said the boat’s captain was one of those injured.
The boat, operated by Lake Champlain Transportation, was completing a 12-minute northern crossing from Plattsburgh, N.Y. to Grand Isle, Vermont.
By shortly after 7 p.m., operations at the dock appeared to return to normal. Cars were boarding a ferry for the trip to Plattsburgh.