Staten Island Ferry - Ferry Incidents

Ferry Incidents

There have been some incidents during the Staten Island Ferry's lifetime:

• On February 8, 1958, the Dongan Hills was hit by a Norwegian tanker Tynefield. 15 were injured.
• On November 7, 1978, the American Legion crashed into the concrete seawall near the Statue of Liberty ferry port during a dense fog. 173 were injured.
• On May 16, 1981, the American Legion was rammed, again in fog, by a Norwegian freighter.
• On July 7, 1986, a deranged man, Juan Gonzalez, attacked passengers with a two-foot sword. Two were killed and nine were injured.
• On April 12, 1995, the Andrew J. Barberi rammed its slip at St. George due to a mechanical malfunction. The doors on the saloon deck were crushed by the adjustable aprons, which a quick-thinking bridgeman lowered to help stop the oncoming ferryboat. Several people were injured.
• On September 19, 1997, a car plunged off the John F. Kennedy as it was docking in Staten Island, causing minor injuries to the driver and a deckhand who was knocked overboard.
• On October 15, 2003, at 15:21, the Andrew J. Barberi (in another accident) collided with a pier (see 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash) on the eastern end of the St. George ferry terminal, killing eleven people, seriously injuring many others, and tearing a huge slash through the lowest of the three passenger decks. After repairs the Barberi quietly returned to service July 1, 2004.
• On March 7, 2004, the New York City medical examiner's office reported that actor/performer Spalding Gray's body was discovered by two men and pulled from the East River. It is believed that Gray committed suicide by jumping off the Staten Island Ferry.
• On July 1, 2009, at 19:09, the John J. Marchi lost power, and hit a pier at the St. George Terminal at full speed resulting in 15 minor injuries. The boat was cited as having a history of electrical problems since being put into service in 2005.

• On May 8, 2010, at 09:20, a Staten Island ferry, the Andrew J. Barberi again (see 2 other notable incidents above) hit the dock at the St. George ferry terminal with 252 passengers aboard. As the ferry approached the dock, the reverse thrust failed to respond and the boat could not slow down. A total of 37 people were injured.