LOWELL -- Police closed public boating access to the Merrimack River in the Lowell area Sunday after a safety boom broke and went over the Pawtucket Falls.

The boom, which Police Capt. William Taylor described as a series of inflatable barrels attached to a cable, is in place to prevent boats from accidentally going over the falls.

"With that not in place there is no safety mechanism," said Taylor.

Once the river recedes, Taylor said a contractor will put the safety boom back in place. But that could take several days, he said.