Yesterday, an unexpected and dramatic incident unfolded at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston when a water main break resulted in a spectacular gush of water sprawling out onto Boylston Street. A video posted on X by Kelly Davidson captured the scene as water shot out with such intensity that it could potentially have swept someone away. “If I left my office less than a minute sooner I think I would’ve been swept across Boylston,” Davidson wrote while describing the incident on X, as reported by NBC Boston.
The cause of the break was not to immediately be understood, however, bystanders at the scene shared their experiences. A couple from West Virginia, Kevin and Melissa Hall, narrated how the water initially trickled before unleashing a torrential blast. Kevin Hall told WHDH, "Water just kind of squirted out just a little bit, nothing like what you saw there. As soon as we got past it, then all of a sudden it just came out like a big waterfall." The water was reported to have been shut off within minutes, leaving onlookers relieved but shocked at the unusual spectacle.
No injuries were reported in the chaos, and the area was quickly sectioned off by first responders and a construction crew that was present at the time. Social media reports and witnesses said that cheers erupted when the water was finally stopped, with one man commenting, “It’s not something you see every day,” according to WHDH.
Clarifying the incident, Boston Water and Sewer Commission spokesperson Stephen Mulloney explained it was an internal fire control system at the Hynes Convention Center to be at fault. He mentioned that the center's personnel were able to manage the outburst and did not need to call the commission. Mulloney conveyed to WHDH, "Often times in these situations we will get called to shut down the main, but they had all the necessary valves and shutoffs inside."
