A celebratory event took a chaotic turn when a luxury party yacht, teeming with nearly 400 party-goers, collided with a pier on the Hudson River in New York City on a recent Saturday afternoon. The incident led to several passengers sustaining injuries, according to official reports and law enforcement sources.
The yacht, known as Timeless, was in the process of docking around 4:18 p.m. when a mooring line snapped, causing the vessel to crash into the pier at West 125th Street and the Henry Hudson Parkways. Zytin King, a lifelong New Yorker who was celebrating her 69th birthday on board with family and friends, shared her experience of the incident. She explained that passengers were congregated in the disembarking area when the yacht struck the dock, causing many to lose their footing and fall.
The collision resulted in minor injuries to roughly 35 people, with 23 needing further medical assessment at local hospitals, as per fire officials. Despite the turmoil, no one was thrown overboard during the incident.
A relative of King’s, who was also on board, described the incident as happening very quickly, causing her to fall onto her mother. After the collision, all 352 passengers and crew members were safely evacuated from the yacht, with some needing wheelchairs for assistance.
Delores Mitchell, 69, who was overseeing the yacht’s catering, remembered hearing passengers express their pain but also their enjoyment of the party. Despite the terrifying incident, King, a party promoter, expressed her relief that no one was seriously injured and her plan to continue the celebration in Harlem.
The Timeless, a three-story vessel and the largest in the Empire Cruises charter fleet, is outfitted with three bars and a climate-controlled indoor seating area that can accommodate up to 550 passengers for trips along the Hudson River. The company, which charges $120 per person for events, was not immediately available for comment.
The cause of the crash remains unknown, and the investigation will be conducted by the Coast Guard.