Sightseers have been sharing their “traumatic” experiences after a ferry trip around the San Francisco Bay — including to the notorious Alcatraz Island — concluded by crashing into a pier, knocking passengers off their feet and breaking the boat’s windows.
Videos shared on social media showed the Alcatraz City Cruises vessel with several shattered windows as it scraped against the pier while trying to dock Sunday.
The boat repeatedly struck Pier 31, knocking some people off their feet and turning what was supposed to be a scenic cruise into a terrifying experience, passengers told KGO-TV.
“I was terrified. I was like, what on earth is going on? And then I was like, okay, who on earth is driving this boat?” passenger Olivia RiosAcuña told the outlet.
RiosAcuna booked the City Cruises tour because her son loves boats, but said the overall experience was so “traumatic” that it left her son in tears.
“I just heard a really loud noise and the whole boat shook,” as it prepared to dock, she told KGO-TV..
Genesis Alcocer, who was also on board, said the boat’s staff “were not making a big deal” out of the incident, but noted, “you can tell in their face they were panicking.”
Passenger Daniel Aburto questioned the crew’s experience after the harrowing ordeal.
“Is it your first day? That was my thought. Like, this is your first day. There’s no way, there’s no way,” he said.
Footage shared online showed the broken windows appeared to be in the ship’s dining area.
Alcatraz City Cruises, which operates cruises to Alcatraz Island and around the San Francisco Bay, called it a “docking incident” in a statement to KGO.
“On Sunday evening, an Alcatraz City Cruises vessel was involved in a docking incident upon return to Pier 31. There are no currently reported injuries, and an investigation of the incident will be conducted to determine its cause,” the statement said. The company is also in the process of refunding the passengers.
A spokesperson for the company told SFGate that there were 102 passengers on board at the time of the collision. The San Francisco Fire Department, also confirmed that crews were not called to the scene.
The Independent has contacted Alcatraz City Cruises for more information.
The company has started to refund passengers following the incident.
