An emergency evacuation was held Friday night on the River City Star after an incident on the Missouri River.Witnesses on the boat said it struck the shoreline about 10:25 p.m."It was a different sound to the engine right away," said Ruth Nelson, passenger. "I mean you could tell there was something wrong. The engine just sounded different right away."Council Bluffs police say the 63-foot boat was located on the Iowa side of the Missouri River and was disabled on the bank next to Tom Hanafans Rivers Edge Park."Upon speaking with the crew, they explained the boat was north of the pedestrian bridge when it struck some rocks on the Nebraska side of the river bank. The boat lost its forward power capability, which caused it to drift in reverse underneath the pedestrian bridge. The boat never struck the pedestrian bridge according to the crew," a press release said.The 130 passengers and five crew members on the boat were all evacuated by Council Bluffs rescue. Three of the passengers were transported to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries."One girl in our group said she saw the trees on the shoreline coming at us fast and that didn't seem right," said Nelson. "Then we had the big boom."Videos posted on social media show passengers on board wearing life jackets.Since the accident occurred in Nebraska, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Departments nautical services team responded to conduct the investigation. Their investigation continues.

An emergency evacuation was held Friday night on the River City Star after an incident on the Missouri River.



Witnesses on the boat said it struck the shoreline about 10:25 p.m.



"It was a different sound to the engine right away," said Ruth Nelson, passenger. "I mean you could tell there was something wrong. The engine just sounded different right away."



Council Bluffs police say the 63-foot boat was located on the Iowa side of the Missouri River and was disabled on the bank next to Tom Hanafans Rivers Edge Park.


"Upon speaking with the crew, they explained the boat was north of the pedestrian bridge when it struck some rocks on the Nebraska side of the river bank. The boat lost its forward power capability, which caused it to drift in reverse underneath the pedestrian bridge. The boat never struck the pedestrian bridge according to the crew," a press release said.



The 130 passengers and five crew members on the boat were all evacuated by Council Bluffs rescue. Three of the passengers were transported to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries.



"One girl in our group said she saw the trees on the shoreline coming at us fast and that didn't seem right," said Nelson. "Then we had the big boom."



Videos posted on social media show passengers on board wearing life jackets.



Since the accident occurred in Nebraska, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Departments nautical services team responded to conduct the investigation. Their investigation continues.