Rescue efforts under way after tour boat capsizes in New York cave

Rescuers brought 36 passengers to safety in New York State after a tour boat capsized inside a cave 20 miles from Niagara Falls.

Lockport Police said that up to 36 passengers were on board the Lockport Cave & Underground tour boat when it capsized in the cave at around 11.45am on Monday morning.

Multiple agencies were called to the scene to search for the passengers. By 12.30pm, all passengers on board had been pulled from the water, reported BNO News.

“Crews are working to assist all parties safely out of the area. This incident is still ongoing,” LPD said in a statement.

Law enforcement officials told The Niagara Gazette that a tour group was making its way through the cave when weight seemingly shifted on the boat, causing it to capsize. All of the passengers ended up in the water with the boat on top of them.

Four adults were being treated by Eastern Niagara Health System, with none believed to be in a critical condition, according to ABC News.

Lockport Cave is a half-mile-long manmade tunnel created in the 19th century with the original purpose of transporting water from the Erie Canal to the nearby Holly Manufacturing Company to power the plant.

In the 1970s, it was turned into an attraction offering thrilling underground boat rides to tourists.

According to the New York Upstate website, the water in the caves is around two to four feet in depth.

Lockport is a city of approximately 21,000 residents in Niagara County, New York, and is located around 20 miles northeast of Buffalo.