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3 hospitalized after boating accident on Mo. River between Omaha & Council Bluffs

News

July 30th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Police in Council Bluffs report three people were injured during a boating accident Friday night, on the Missouri River. At around 10:16-p.m. Council Bluffs rescue and officers were dispatched to the Bob Kerry pedestrian foot bridge for a report of a boat that had stuck the bridge resulting in several passengers sustaining injuries. The 63- foot boat, owned by River City Star, of Omaha, was located on the Iowa side of the Missouri River, and was disabled on the bank next to Tom Hanafans Rivers Edge Park.

The crew told authorities the boat was north of the pedestrian bridge when it struck some rocks on the Nebraska side of the river bank. The vessel lost its forward power capability, which caused it to drift in reverse underneath the pedestrian bridge. The crew said the boat never struck the pedestrian bridge, though.

The 130 passengers and 5 crew members on the boat were all evacuated by Council Bluffs rescue. Three of the passengers were transported to local hospitals for non-life threatening injuries. Since the accident occurred in Nebraska, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Departments nautical services team responded to conduct the investigation. Their investigation is considered on-going at this time.