Four people were injured Friday morning when an MBTA ferry ran aground off Long Island in Boston Harbor, according to the MBTA and Coast Guard. At least one injury was potentially serious, Massachusetts State Police said.

“The ferry Lightning, inbound towards Boston, was ‘cut off’ by a sport fishing boat, requiring the Lightning’s Captain to take action to avoid a collision,” MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said in an email.

The incident happened around 7:45 a.m., and around 80 people were aboard the ferry.

A state police release said conditions were foggy when the commuter ferry ran aground during low tide. The boat ended up in 5 feet of water.


Pesaturo said the ferry was not taking on water and its passengers would be transferred to another vessel.

#UPDATE Ferry Lightening back underway heading to Black Falcon. #Boston Harbormaster helped transfer passengers from Lightening to Sanctuary. #SAR pic.twitter.com/zee9qBZd6z — USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) August 16, 2019

The Coast Guard tweeted that there was a reported “breach in the hull above the water line.” The ferry eventually freed itself from the ground with the help of the current, according to state police.

Coast Guard officer Nicole Groll said around 8:50 a.m. that the priority of responders at the time was “making sure people are safe.”

The high-speed ferry involved in the incident is called the Lightning and was traveling inbound from Hull, Pesaturo said.

Crews from numerous agencies including the Coast Guard and Massachusetts Environmental Police responded.