Boston Duck Boat Crew Rescues Toddler in Charles River

The Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge can be seen at right from the Charles River. Photo: Tom Richardson

Map of the area of the rescue.

The two-man crew of an amphibious Duck Boat rescued a father and his two-year-old son from the Charles River on Monday (Aug. 19) after the toddler accidentally fell into the water behind the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, not far from the Museum of Science. The father jumped in after his son, pulled him to safety, and clung to one of the stones that line the river until help could arrive.

The Duck Boat crew was participating in a safety-training drill nearby when they received notice of the incident. They immediately motored to the scene, retrieved the pair from the water with the aid of an onboard ladder, and brought them to a nearby dock. The boy was taken to a hospital as a precaution.

Duck boat tours can be seen on the Charles River. The run from the first day of Spring until the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Photo:Tom Richardson