At least a dozen people are wheeled off a New York Water Taxi into ambulances, after the boat made a hard landing at Pier 79 Friday afternoon. Many of the passengers were shaken up.
"It was horrible," said one passenger. "Real horrible."
"It docked very hard against the pier and some people got hurt," said another.
Authorities say 30 people were hurt including a child who suffered a serious head injury. The impact was so rough it knocked some passengers to the ground.
"She got back pain real hard," said one.
The water taxi offers hop on and hop off service along the city's waterfront, including to sites like the Statue of Liberty. One hundred and twenty five people were on board when the boat hit the pier at 39th Street and the Hudson River.
"I saw everything go to the front of the boat and everything fly everywhere," said one witness. "All the glass fell on the ground."
Officials say it's still early in the investigation, but it appears speed may have been a factor.
"As it was approaching the pier it was it was going a little faster than normal it was reversing as quick as I could and it hit abruptly as people were getting ready to disembark a lot of them were thrown forward," said FDNY Manhattan Borough Commander Roger Sakowich.
A fire department mobile respiratory treatment bus was at the scene aiding the victims. Authorities say they're interviewing the captain and evaluating the boat's condition.