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Facebook / KOLR
More than half of the 17 people were killed when a boat of tourism sank a lake Branson, Missouri, were members of the same Indiana family, and they probably would not have been on the unfortunate trip, but for a confusion of banknotes.
One of two family survivors, Tia Coleman, told KOLR that she and 10 members of her family had bought tickets for a duck trip, but that they were mistaken for boarding place
Coleman was able to change the tickets for 6:30 pm Ride The Ducks and an hour later she and her 13 year old nephew were the only family members to survive capsizing at Table Rock Lake. 19659004] Before Thursday's descent, Colman said that he had been told that despite most of the ex canoeing from earth, his family would start in the water because of a storm.
She told KOLR: "Huge big waves, jerks – everyone started to be like that, it gets a little too much, and then it was really jerky and big waves of water started to arrive at the boat
"Then a huge wave swept and when that wave swept, the last thing I heard my sister-in-law saying was 'catch the baby'."
The waves soon resumed the boat, and the watercraft began "
" My head pushed up to the top of the water and I lost control, I'm not sure. "I had no one with me," said Coleman, "I could not see anyone, and I know it was not the case, but I felt like I'd been struggling for at least an hour but it was probably like 10 minutes, and I just remembered that I kept sinking, I kept sinking. "
Coleman told WXIN that the boat's captain had it told the 29 duck passengers that they would not need lifejackets at the time of the accident. it was too late. "
Coleman lost her husband, three children, ages 9, 7 and 1, her mother-in-law, her stepfather, her uncle, her sister-in-law, and her step-brother-in-law. three-year-old sister capsized and her 13-year-old nephew was the only other survivor in the family.
The community of Branson, Missouri, known for its shows and entertainment, organized two vigils on Friday night.
About 300 people gathered in the Ride the Ducks parking lot of Branson and other people cried in a church singing "Amazing Grace" at both places.
At the duck market rally, Reverend Zachary Klein stated that he had no words of comfort to offer to the families of the victims "because it was not there. simply does not have words to comfort them. "
Divers found the last four corpses Friday at Table Rock Lake, near Branson, after the deadliest accident of its kind in nearly two decades.
State and federal investigators were trying to determine what would send the boat known as duck to his disappearance.
A first assessment attributed thunderstorms and winds that were approaching the force of a hurricane, but it was not clear why the amphibious vehicle had even ventured into the water.
Mayor Karen Best said that Branson is typically a city "full of smiles … but today, we cry and cry."
Officials did not publish the names of the victims, but sad details emerged throughout the day. Among them: A popular duck pilot, a father and a son visiting Arkansas, and the nine parents of Indiana, many of them children.
The risk of heavy weather was apparent hours before the departure of the boat.
The National Weather Service of Springfield, about 64 miles north of Branson, threw a thunderstorm Thursday for its immediate area, indicating that conditions were favorable for winds of 70 mph.
He followed 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 came down about 40 minutes later, shortly after 19 hours.
"When we issue a warning, it means taking action," said meteorologist Kelsey Angle.
A full investigation was underway, with the assistance 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 both Senators of Missouri about the accident. Democrat Claire McCaskill said she would investigate 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 the company was assisting the authorities. She said that it was the only accident of the company in more than 40 years of operation.
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. The captain survived, the authorities said.
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."
Brayden Malaske, of Harrah, Oklahoma, boarded a replica of a 19th century paddle steamer known as Branson Belle on the same lake just before the storm struck.
At the time, he said, the water seemed calm, and no one was worried about the weather.
"But he suddenly became very dark," he recalls.
In a short video taken by Malaske from the Belle Bridge, the duck boat can be seen wallowing in the restless lake, 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.
Later, people on the Malaske boat saw a duck boat passenger "hanging for dear life" at the Belle's paddlewheel, he said.
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 Best. "He was at every event, he knew everyone, he was always promoting Branson."
A family survivor who lost nine parents said that the captain told the passengers not to embarrass lifejackets.
An e-mail requesting comments from Ripley Entertainment about Coleman's comments was not immediately referred to Associated Press.
Named for their ability to travel on land and in the water, ducks have already been involved in other serious accidents, including the deaths of more than 40 people since 1999.
Five Students were killed in Seattle in 2015 when a duck collided with a bus. Thirteen people died in 1999 when a boat sank near Hot Springs, Arkansas.
"Duck boats are deadly traps," said Andrew Duffy, a lawyer whose Philadelphia law firm handled litigation related to two deadly duck accidents there. "They are not suitable 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.
The boats were originally designed for the army, especially for transporting troops and supplies in the Second World War. They were later modified for use as touring vehicles.
The sheriff said Thursday that two ducks 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 have planned to recover it at some point in the next few days.
The boat sank 12 meters (40 feet) of water, then rolled on its wheels in a deeper area with 80 feet (25 meters) of water.
The Ride the Ducks tour begins in downtown Branson, where vehicles take passengers on tour while the captain jokes and points out landmarks. Finally, the boats pull 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 at their base, which includes a shop selling candies and souvenirs.
Table Rock Lake, east of Branson, was created in the late 1950s when the Corps of Army Engineers built a dam on the White River to provide hydroelectric power to Ozarks.
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