Coast Guard investigating tour boat accident on Chicago River

7-Aug-12 – The U.S. Coast Guard will try to figure out why the engine on a brand new sightseeing boat failed late Monday afternoon, sending the boat crashing into a concrete dock near Michigan Avenue and injuring nine people.

At about 5:30 p.m., the Lila, delivered to Wendella Boats last Wednesday, was docking just west of the DuSable Bridge, on the north side of the Chicago River, when the engine, instead of going into reverse and slowing the boat, gave out. When the Lila hit head on, nine passengers were injured, two seriously.

144 passengers and six crewmembers were on the Lila. The injured were taken to three nearby hospitals. None of the injuries is life threatening. According to Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Meg Ahlheim, it was an injured passenger who first called CFD at 5:31 p.m.

Coast Guard investigating tour boat accident on Chicago River