Branson Duck: 17 people killed when Missouri boat sinks near Branson

BRANSON, M0. – It was a beautiful summer day here in the Ozarks, and the duck boat filled with tourists sailed through a quiet Table Rock Lake. Then the wind began to rise and the water began to churn as a powerful storm crushed.

The rain pounded the amphibious ship, the waves threw it like a toy, gusts of wind blew with water and water its bow. As the boat struggled to the dock and security for her 29 passengers and two-member crew, she was submerged. Striking video footage of the lake showed the boat swaying and swaying in incessant waves. Shortly after, the small flat-bottomed half-busboat capsized and sank, diving to the bottom of the lake and killing more than half of the people on board.

By the end of Friday's day, the authorities had recovered the bodies of 17, a list of victims who have passed through the generations, ranging from 1 to 70 years, many of whom are out-of-state visitors – including nine members of a family. Authorities said the captain survived while the boat's driver was killed. Branson Mayor Karen Best identified the driver as Robert "Bob" Williams of Branson.

Ducks are a popular tourist attraction in the country's cities, allowing passengers to visit the same vehicle. The boat here, near this seaside resort in southwestern Missouri, had a regular tour around Table Rock. Although Table Rock Lake is normally placid, some authorities and some experts said Friday that it's not clear why operators have ignored forecasts and warnings that the potentially violent storm Stone County Sheriff, Doug Rader, told reporters that he said was one of the two duck boats still on the lake during the storm – sank because of the weather. When asked on Friday when he thought that an operator or design mistake had played a role in the tragedy, Rader refused to answer. Jim Pattison Jr., president of Ripley Entertainment, who bought the duck operation in 2017, said in an interview Friday that the storm suddenly appeared on a lake that is normally "very, very flat," taking over. Crew by surprise. He said the captain of the boat had 16 years of experience

"We are absolutely devastated," said Pattison. "Our hearts are really going to everyone, and it's just something that is very sad."

Suzanne Smagala, spokesperson for Ripley Entertainment, said the company has taken notice of the weather alert before the storm and that boat captains receive weather alerts by email or SMS. "However, we do not know if the captain received it" Thursday night, she said.

"When the weather came up, the captain turned around," she added. The boat was heading towards the shore when it capsized.

Although tourists generally knew that thunderstorms were expected on Thursday, meteorologists had been following the storm for hours and their forecasts had given considerable delay. The national meteorological service issued a severe thunderstorm at 11:20, nearly eight hours before the storm, and then predicted "widespread destructive winds with significant gusts and isolated at 75 mph."

The service then issued a severe storm warning – indicating a violent storm was imminent – at 6:32 pm, about 30 minutes before police were called about the boat capsizing.

Marshall Shepherd, former president of the American Meteorological Society and professor at the University of Georgia, tweeted that the "tragedy was completely avoidable".

"This is not in 1901," he writes. "We have satellites, advanced radars, good meteorological models, all short-term weather information has shown that storms are approaching well before the boat is on the water."

Authorities stated that they were waiting to recover the boat in 80 feet of water. Rader said the boat descended in about 40 feet of water, but rolled to a deeper point and ended up on its wheels.

"It is going to take time to know the details of everything that has happened," Governor Mike Parson (R) said at a news briefing on Friday, noting that the only thing that has happened is that he is not going to be there. A sprawling survey had begun. "Until this investigation is over, I do not think it's home or anyone else speculating on anything that could have happened or why."

The wrecked duck on Thursday was owned by Ride the Ducks Branson, a tourism company that takes people on Ozarks tours through the land and water using amphibious vehicles. Ride the Ducks is a national duck tour operator with locations across the United States, and Ripley's purchase of the Branson company last year added to its collection of more than 100 entertainment venues. Those include the Ripley's Believe It or Not! franchise and the Guinness World Records Attractions, as well as mazes, haunted houses, traveling shows and other attractions throughout the United States and 10 other countries.

Pattison told the Post Friday that the company bought Ride the Branson Ducks – date, Ripley's only duck outfit – in part because Ripley already had a Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium at Branson

A press release announcing the purchase described the visit as a 70-minute amphibious guided tour that takes passengers through the Ozarks. At the time of the announcement, the company was operating 22 duck vehicles from March through November. The ad has since been removed from the Ripley website

The ducks were originally developed as amphibious military vehicles used in beach landings. Boating boat trips to Branson include a trip to a nearby mountain to view decades-old military equipment

while some tourist duck boats were converted DUKW boats from the Second Army World War used by Ride the Branson Ducks. It was aftershocks, the company said, updated with modern security equipment.

Smagala stated that the tragedy of the boat was the first accident involving ducks at Branson. Smagala said, "The federal investigators went on the scene to join the national and local authorities, the National Transportation Safety Board sending a" Go "message. Team "on the lake to help probe the latest disaster involving ducks, who have been involved in several fatal accidents in the water and on land." Thirteen people died in 1999 when a duck boat sank and wrecked during a visit to Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Ark. The NTSB discovered that when the boat was converted for tourism, its buoyancy was not enough to stay afloat. "Seven minutes only after entering the boat into the lake, he sank in 60 feet of water

In 2015, a boat from Ride the Ducks crashed into a chartered bus on the Aurora Bridge In Seattle, five students were killed and dozens of others injured, according to the Seattle Times, the International Ducks agreed the following year to pay $ 1 million for violating federal safety regulations.

Two duck passengers were killed in 2010 near Philadelphia when a houseboat collided with the smallest ship. The NTSB determined that the accident – which caused the fall of the duck – occurred because the person guiding the barge was concentrated on his cell phone, although federal investigators also criticized the operator of the duck, ride the ducks.

Some of the fatal accidents show dangers that come with some versions of hybrid ships. Often, boats are covered with thick shelters that protect cyclists from the sun and rain, but can be an obstacle to safety in case of emergency, trapping passengers inside when the ships sink.

"

" A continuous canopy roof that trapped passengers in the sinking vehicle contributed to the loss of life, "said an NTSB report about the incident. published national standards for vehicle inspections in December 2000, which still cover the industry. The NTSB recommended in 2002 that integrated flotation devices or other means be added to modernized military vessels to ensure that vessels "remain afloat and upright."

Duck boats at Branson are popular with tourists and locals. Best, the mayor. She said she could not remember any previous problems with the two companies that operated the boats during the 16 years she lived in Branson.

"Ducks are an asset to our community," she said. "As a local, I climbed into them, I can not tell you how many times."

Many tourists on similar boats in the district Friday were not discouraged by the news of the deadly event in Missouri, considering it as

While a fleet of Boats operated by DC Ducks was deposited at Union Station Friday afternoon, the Valdonedo family landed with a broad smile. Panama holidaymakers planned to stay in the nation's capital for a week, and they said they had no intention of changing their plans to ride the duck.

"A random accident does not mean that they're a bad company," said Gabby Valdonedo, 25. "It's a good way to see the city."

Her sister 19-year-old Monique Valdonedo adds that ducks are "much more fun than going down the subway"

Tourists have expressed concerns about amphibious excursions.Tiffany Li, 19, was visiting Washington with a friend on Friday. planned to do a DC Duck tour to pass the time before the return of their train to New York

"Obviously, it's a security problem," Kume said. "The boats do not seem stable, but tourists do not know it better. They just pay to have fun. "

Li compared the danger to driving a roller coaster in an amusement park." You do not want to question things when you have a good time, then you do not have to. Do not think, "she said.

Eventually, they decided not to do the tour, although Li said that based more on money than on safety.

Branson, near The Arkansas border, is a destination for country and live music fans, with many numbers covering the Elvis, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton standards.Its main boulevard includes Dixie Stampede Dinner Attraction of Dolly Parton, and Silver Dollar City, a theme park of the 1800s. Best, now in her second term, said the city had about 10,000 residents and welcomed more than 8 million visitors each year; July is one of its busiest months.

Best e His staff prepared the Branson Town Hall as a refuge for those waiting for news of their loved ones, and the city brought in certified bereavement counselors. The best said that she saw one of the sadness counselors take a young man's wet socks and dry them with the bathroom hand dryer. "It was such a small thing, but for this young man, having dry socks was an improvement over the cold and the damp," she said. "Little things like that meant a lot to families."

Nine members of a family were among the 17 people who died when the duck capsized, a representative of the Parson office confirmed Friday. Two other family members survived. Seven other passengers were injured, and two of them were in serious condition.

Aside from Williams, the boat's driver, the names and ages of the victims had not been released on Friday night. Williams, who had been living in Branson with his wife for 30 years, was described as having enjoyed his role in promoting Branson.

"Every time you saw him, he was smiling," said Mr. Best. "He was a good guy." He loved Branson. "

Victor Richardson, a grandson of Williams, said in a phone interview that" he was the most calm mind that we can meet. "

The police were called. Thursday, officials said. As the diving teams headed toward the stage, people already there began to help, Rader said. Among those assisting were one of his deputies, who was on leave and who was providing security on the Branson Belle, a demonstration boat used for lake excursions

The weather was fine until 1939. At the disaster, Allison Lester saw what happened from a nearby boat, said in a television interview.

"The wind really got bad, and debris was flying everywhere, and just the waves were really rough," Lester said. "On Fridays." It was just suddenly and out of nowhere. "

In the video captured by lake spectators, two duck boats can be seen plunging up and down in rough waves and the high spray.A boat trailing behind the other, plunging into the water.

"Oh my god, oh no," we hear a woman saying in the background of the video. One needs to help them. "

Berman, Chiu and Wax reported from Washington. Abigail Hauslohner, Michael Laris, Luz Lazo, Deanna Paul, Julie Tate, Jason Samenow, Samantha Schmidt and Rachel Siegel in Washington Ristau is a freelance journalist based in Tulsa