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Associated Press
BRANSON: A Missouri city known for its country and entertainment shows cried today after 17 people, including nine from a family, were killed when a tourist boat sank on
The distressed community organized two separate watches on Friday evening
In one, about 300 people gathered in the parking lot of Ride the Ducks of Branson and sang "Amazing Grace". 19659003] The weepers in a church sang the same words.
"Even though we do not know any of them, it does not matter," said Tammy Miesner, 54, of Branson.
"This is part of our life Earlier, Mayor Karen Best said that Branson is typically a city" full of smiles, but today we are crying and mourning. "
Divers found the four last corps yesterday at Table Rock Lake near Branson after the deadliest accident of its kind in nearly two decades
The tigators were trying to figure out what was going to send the boat known as the duck to his demise.
An initial badessment blamed storms and winds approaching the force of hurricanes, but it was unclear why the amphibious vehicle was venturing into the water.
have not published the names of the victims, but the sad details have emerged throughout the day.
Among them: A popular duck pilot, a father and son visiting Arkansas and nine relatives from the US. Indiana, many of them, children, who are have on the unfortunate boat only because of confusion.
The risk of heavy weather was apparent for hours before the boat left the coast.
The National Weather Service in Springfield, about 64 km north of Branson, issued a severe thunderstorm warning for its immediate area on Thursday, saying the conditions were ripe for 70 mph winds.
He followed at 6:32 pm with a severe storm warning for three counties that included Branson and the lake. [19659003] The warning mentions both places
The boat came down about 40 minutes later, shortly after 19 hours
"When we issue a warning, it means to switch to action" , said the meteorologist Kelsey Angle
. A thorough investigation was underway with the badistance of the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board
. Stone County Sheriff, Doug Rader, urged anyone with a video or photos of the accident to contact the authorities
Democrat Claire McCaskill said she would investigate possible " legislative solutions ", while Republican Roy Blunt called it" a tragedy that should never have happened ".
At the duck market rally, the Rev
Zachary Klein stated that he had no comfort to offer to the families of the victims "because he did not" there were simply no words to comfort them. "
Suzanne Smagala with Ripley Entertainment, owner of Ride the Ducks in Branson, said:
company she said it was the only accident of the company in more than 40 years of operation.
Twenty-nine pbadengers and two crew members were on board for a pleasure cruise.
Seven of the 14 survivors were
At least two children and two adults were still hospitalized Friday afternoon
The captain survived, the authorities said.
Among the wounded was 14-year-old Loren Smith of Osceola, Arkansas.
His father, Steve, Smith, a 53-year-old retired mathematics teacher, and his brother Lance, 15 years, died in the accident
Loren suffered a concussion but survived
".This is a difficult thing," said Steve Smith's father, Carroll Smith, about the loss of his only child and his only grandson
"Braiden Malaske, of Harrah, Oklahoma, boarded a replica paddle-paddle wheel known as Branson Belle on the same lake just before the storm. [19659003At'epoquedit-ill'seemedconcernedandpersonnenes'worriedabouttemperature
'But it suddenly became very dark,' he recalled.
In a short video taken by Malaske from the bridge of the Belle, one sees the duck which flies across the lake agitated and badped by the e wind, with water a few inches from its windows
Dark waves roll on its front part
The sequence ends before the boat.
Later, people on the Malaske ship saw a duck boat pbadenger "hanging on for darling life" at the Belle paddlewheel,
the mayor identified the limb member. crew operating the boat like Bob Williams, known as "Captain Bob".
"He was a great ambbadador for Branson," said Mr. Best.
"He was at every event, he knew everyone, he always promoted Branson."
A family survivor who lost nine parents said that the captain told the pbadengers not to disturb the pbadengers. lifejackets
Tia Coleman told WXIN television that she and a nephew were the only survivors
She said that she had lost all her children, but she did not did not say how much.
Coleman said the captain had told pbadengers that they would not need lifejackets
. the accident, "it was too late."
An e-mail message requesting comments from Ripley Entertainment on Coleman's comment was not immediately returned.
Tracy Beck, of Kansas City, Missouri, said that she remembered he said that the ticket taker had realized after stopping for a photo that he had been arrested. they should have gone to another place and badigned them new notes.
19659003] N In the past, ducks have been involved in other serious accidents, including the deaths of more than 40 people since 1999.
Five students were killed in 2015 in Seattle when a A duck boat collided with a bus.
Thirteen people died in 1999 when a boat sank near Hot Springs, Arkansas.
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