Tour boat capsizes inside cave along the Erie Canal in Upstate New York

A tour boat capsized Monday in an underground cave along the Erie Canal in Upstate New York, police said.

The boat that capsized was carrying passengers through a series of caves in a section of the Erie Canal in Lockport, near Niagara Falls at the U.S.-Canadian border. Officials have not shared how many passengers were on board during the incident or if there were any serious injuries.

“Lockport police and fire departments, as well as several other agencies, are currently working to assist parties that were on a boat that capsized in the Lockport Cave Tours,”  the Lockport Police Department said in a statement shared to its Facebook page at at around 12:20 p.m. on Monday. 

“Crews are working to assist all parties safely out of the area,” the statement continued. “The incident is still ongoing.”

Streets in the surrounding area were closed off to give rescue crews easier access to the scene, according to Lockport police. The department said it would share more information about the incident “as it becomes available.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a tweet that authorities with the New York State Police, Division of Homeland Security, State Parks and Health Department were at the scene and assisting local officials in their response.

“My team is in close contact with local officials and emergency operations teams who have responded to a capsized boat along the Erie Canal in Lockport,” the tweet read.

CBS affiliate WIVB reported that at least 30 adults were on the tour boat when it capsized, citing a Lockport police deputy. The news station shared an image to Twitter that appeared to show authorities loading adults, wearing towels, onto stretchers along a roadway near the canal. 

As WIVB reported, boat tours have taken place inside the Erie Canal’s network of caves since 1977, while the caves themselves were created in the late 19th century. Water levels inside the caves range from 4 to 6 feet deep, the station reported in 2021.