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More than half of the 17 people killed during the sinking of a tourist boat on a Branson Lake belonged to the same family of Indiana, and it is likely that they would not 39, would not have been victims of a bad trip.
Tracy Beck, of Kansas City, Missouri, said she remembered that family members were queuing up. After being stopped to take a picture, a ticket taker realized that they should have gone up to another place and reassigned them.
The distressed community, known for its shows and entertainment, held two vigils on Friday night. About 300 people gathered in the parking lot of Ride the Ducks of Branson and others cried in front of a church, singing Amazing Grace at both places.
At the duck rally, Reverend Zachary Klein says that he had no words of comfort to offer to the families of the victims "because there are no words to comfort them. "
Divers found the four final bodies Friday at Table Rock Lake near Branson after the most deadly crash of the kind. two decades. Federal and state investigators were trying to determine what went to send the boat known as the duck boat to his disappearance. A first assessment blamed storms and winds that approached the force of hurricanes, but it is unclear why the amphibious vehicle even ventured into the water.
Mayor Karen Best said that Branson is a city "full of smiles … we cry and cry. "
Storm Warning
The officials did not release the names of the victims, but sad details emerged throughout the day, among them: a popular duck driver, a father and a son visiting Arkansas, and the nine parents of Indiana, including many children.
The risk of heavy weather was apparent for hours before the boat left the shore. [19659002] The Springfield Weather Service, about 40 miles north of Branson, threw a heavy thunderstorm Thursday in its immediate area, indicating that conditions were favorable for winds of 112 km / h. at 6:32 pm with a severe thunderstorm warning for three counties that included Branson and the lake.The warning mentioned both locations.The boat fell about 40 minutes later, shortly after 7 pm
"When we issue a warning, it means that it must act, "said meteorologist Kelsey Angle.
A duck stays in the parking lot of Ride the Ducks, an amphibious tour operator in Branson, Missouri, on Friday. The amphibious vehicle is similar to one of the boats of the company that capsized (Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
An investigation was underway, with the help 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.
The agencies informed the two Missouri Senators of the accident. Democrat Claire McCaskill said she would study possible "legislative solutions", while Republican Roy Blunt called it "a tragedy that should never have happened".
Suzanne Smagala with Ripley Entertainment, owner of Ride the Ducks in Branson, said assisting authorities. She said that it was the only accident of the company in more than 40 years of operation.
The master survived
Twenty-nine passengers and two crew members were on board for a pleasure cruise. Seven of the 14 survivors were injured when the ship fell. At least two children and two adults were still hospitalized on Friday afternoon.
Among the wounded was Loren Smith, 14, of Osceola, Arkansas. His father, Steve, Smith, a 53-year-old retired mathematics teacher, and his 15-year-old brother, Lance, died in the accident. Loren suffered a concussion but survived.
"It's a difficult thing," said Steve Smith's father, Carroll Smith, of having lost his only child and his only grandson. "It's a very difficult day."
A woman on a nearby ship captured a video showing the duck that was thrown on the water just before sinking.
Brayden Malaske, of Harrah, Oklahoma, boarded a ship replica of the 19th century, the Branson Belle on "
At the time, he said, the water seemed calm and nobody worried about the temperature.
"But suddenly, it was very dark," he recalls. In a short video taken by Malaske from the bridge of the Belle, we see the duck flying through the lake agitated and whipped by the wind, with water a few inches from its windows. Dark, rolling waves crush on the front. The film ends before the boat capsizes
"Hang on to the darling life"
Later, passengers of the Malaske boat saw a duck passenger "hang for life" at the wheel of the Belle .
The mayor identified the crew member who operates the boat as Bob Williams, known unofficially as "Captain Bob".
"He was a great ambassador for Branson," said Mr. Best. "He was at every event, he knew everyone, he was promoting Branson."
A family survivor who lost nine family members told the captain not to disturb the life jackets. Friday, near the place where the duck capsized the previous night (1965-1414) (Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
Tia Coleman told WXIN television channel that she and a nephew were the only survivors among 11 family members. She said that she lost all her children, but she did not say how many.
Coleman said that the captain had told passengers that they would not need life jackets. At the time of the accident, "it was too late."
An email requesting Ripley Entertainment's comment about Coleman's comment was not immediately returned.
Named for their ability to travel on land and in the water, ducks have been involved in other serious accidents in the past, including the deaths of more than 40 people since 1999.
& # 39; Deadly traps & # 39;
Five students were killed in 2015 in Seattle when a duck collided with a bus. Thirteen people died in 1999 when a boat sank near Hot Springs, Ark.
"Ducks are deadly traps," said Andrew Duffy, a lawyer with the Philadelphia law firm. "They are not fit for water or land because they are half car and half boat."
Security advocates sought improvements and complained that too many agencies regulate boats with varying security requirements. for the military, especially for transporting troops and supplies in the Second World War. They were later modified for use as passenger vehicles.
The sheriff said Thursday that two canoes were on the water at the time of the storm. Both had returned to the ground. One returned safely. The other did not do it.
The divers quickly located the sunken ship, which was immobilized on its wheels on the lake bed. The authorities plan to retrieve it at one time or another in the next few days
The boat sinks in 12 meters of water then rolls on its wheels in a deeper area with 25 meters of water. ;water.
The Ride the Ducks tour begins in downtown Branson, where vehicles take passengers on tour while the captain makes jokes and points out landmarks. Eventually, the boats move towards the lake and slowly enter the water with a small splash.
After a few minutes on the water, the vehicles return to shore and to their base, which includes a store selling candies and souvenirs.
