Paramedics say the children were taken to hospital with minor injuries

Karen Butting and Bryanne Smart both say they felt the ferry going too fast to properly dock.

“I kind of braced myself and we hit the dock,” said Butting, who was riding a Toronto Island ferry Saturday afternoon when it crashed while pulling in to the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal.

Butting said the force of the crash caused Smart to topple onto her daughters.

“People at the top of the stairs had fallen on everybody on the bottom,” she said. “Our girls were crying, kids were hurt, people were crying, parents were scared”

Twelve people, including two children, suffered minor injuries in the crash, police say.

The two children were taken to hospital to be treated there.

Police said on Saturday that a number of people reportedly fell but no one is in the water. Butting and Smart recalled people falling on top of each other from the impact.

Emergency crews were called to the dock at 5:08 p.m. The dock is at Queens Quay West and Bay Street. Paramedics told CBC Toronto that ten people were being treated at the scene.

Toronto police are investigating the cause of the crash.

‘Way too fast’

“We were just going way too fast,” said Smart, who was at the front of the ferry. “There wasn’t any announcements beforehand to warn people to hold on to something.”

Butting said that other than the ferry’s speed, there’s still not much known about why it crashed. She was left with a bruised knee and rib, she said.

Smart, meanwhile, said she immediately thought “we’re never doing this trip again.” The two said they want to know if the ferry crashed because of a malfunction or because of the staff.

City of Toronto spokesperson Alex Burke told CBC Toronto that the city is aware of the incident and has reduced ferry service until further notice.

For the rest of Saturday, all tickets have been refunded and ticket purchases have been suspended.

“City staff will be conducting a full investigation and prior to resuming full operations will require an inspector to sign off on the proper safety procedures and measures,” Burke said.