CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Three people were thrown into the water after a barge ran over a boat on the Kanawha River Thursday night.

The barge slammed into the boat around 10 p.m. near Haddad Riverfront Park. The three people who were on the boat were able to swim to shore, according to a Kanawha County Metro 911 dispatcher.

Charleston firefighters immediately responded to the scene and were about to launch a rescue boat in the Kanawha River when they found the three boat occupants on the south shore of the river, according to the dispatcher.

Local medics checked out two of the boat occupants, but no one was seriously injured, according to the dispatcher.

Firefighters were able to get the barge to stop. The boat was severely damaged and grounded ashore on the bank of the Kanawha River.