A man has died after a boat capsized at an underground cave attraction in Lockport, New York Monday morning.
Lockport Police Chief the man tragically became trapped underneath the boat that capsized - and his wife has been taken to hospital.
11 people were transported to hospitals with minor injuries - including one person with a broken arm.
Police said 28 passengers and one staff member were on board when the tour boat overturned around 11.20am on Monday.
It appears weight shifted on the boat, causing it to capsize.
Riders plunged into the water with the boat landing on top of them - prompting officials to enter the attraction on inflatable devices to bring them to safety.
The boat went under in shallow water, although some had to swim under the vessel to get to safety, reports WBEN News Radio.
The incident took place at Lockport Caves - a popular tourist attraction beneath the city in Niagara County.
Rescue efforts were reportedly complicated as the boat was stuck in an underground area - and it's unclear what caused the boat to capsize.
It is not clear what caused the boat to capsize, or what condition the victims were in as they were pulled from the area.
The Niagara County Sheriff's Office and Lockport Police Department took charge of the situation at Lockport Cave & Underground Boat Ride in Lockport.
“Lockport police and fire departments, as well as several other agencies, are currently working to assist parties that were on a boat that capsized in the Lockport Cave tours,” the local police department said.
“Crews are working to assist all parties safely out of the area. The incident is still ongoing.”
The incident happened at around 11:45 on Monday, officials confirmed.
Additional ambulances and backup were called, and surrounding streets shut down around the area to allow rescue workers better access.
The victims were on a standard tour of the area. The cave system has been a tourist attraction since 1977. The water in the cave itself is roughly 4 to 6 feet deep, according to information on the website. The cave system itself was created 150 years ago.
Describing the attraction created by Birdshill Holly, the founder of the Holly Manufacturing Company, co-owner of Lockport Cave and Underground Boat Ride, Tom Callahan said: "(He had) over 150 inventions, only rivaled at the time by Thomas Edison,” Tom Callahan said,
“His biggest, probably most important invention, was probably the rotary pump.”
Today, there is a pumping system that keeps the water low enough to tour by boat.
“On the boat ride, they see original mining shafts that were used when the tunnel was blasted, water shafts, where the city of Lockport actually took its water for fire protection, geologic formations and the abutments where the tunnel actually began.”
The boat glides through the water, using an electric motor that can’t be heard and a single flashlight helps guide guests on the 15-minute tour.
