CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (AP) — The captains of a Boston duck boat rescued a father and son from the Charles River on Monday after the toddler fell into the water followed by his father, officials said.
The Boston Duck Tours boat, which carries tourists by both water and land, was participating in quarterly safety drills when it pulled the couple from the water. The boy was taken to a hospital Monday morning as a precaution, the Cambridge Fire Department said.
“This is crazy. This is happening while we are training,” Michael Rosario, one of the captains, told reporters. “Now we are doing a real rescue.”
The boy, who is not yet 2 years old, jumped over the safety railing and fell into the river behind the Royal Sonesta, a riverfront hotel in Cambridge, according to Massachusetts State Police. His father quickly jumped after him.
Photos show both of them in the water, with the father clinging to a rock wall with one arm and holding his son with the other.
Rosario and co-captain Kevin O’Neil threw out a safety ring, maneuvered their way to her and dropped a ladder. Once both were safely on board, they headed to the dock in Cambridge, where they were met by first responders.
“We were happy to be in the right place at the right time,” said Tom Vigna, marketing director for Boston Duck Tours.
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