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The Coleman family first thought of going on a Florida vacation for their annual trip, but the trip was too much long for some elderly parents. They settled in Branson, a town in southwestern Missouri about seven hours drive from their hometown of Indianapolis. They rented a van and on Tuesday the family of eleven generations of three generations retired for what would be their last vacation together.
The trip to this small seaside resort was fatal two days later, after they had taken one of the amphibious vehicles for what should have been a 70-minute guided tour around the Ozarks. The boat battled turbulent waves on Table Rock Lake, a normally placid body of water churned by a violent storm. The vehicle took the water, capsized and sank, settling on the bottom, taking 17 lives with it
out of these 17 victims, nine were members of the Coleman family, the youngest A girl of one year. Only two members of the Coleman group survived, Tia Coleman and his 13-year-old nephew, Donovan
CHARLIE RIEDEL / AP
] Mourning at a memorial for those who died when a duck boat capsized.
Tia Coleman's husband and three children died.
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* Nine ducks victims of the same family
* Family lost in a duck boat crash
* 11 people dead after a tourist boat runs on an American lake in Missouri
"You do not know how many times I would have preferred to go to Florida," said Carolyn Coleman, whose husband, Gary, lost two brothers , nieces and nephews in the accident.
CHARLIE RIEDEL / AP [19659008] People pray by car thought to belong to a victim of the shipping accident.
On Friday night, Carolyn, who lives in Geo Rgia, said that she called Tia while she was recovering at a Branson hospital. Tia's voice was quiet on the phone, and Carolyn assumed that she was probably still in shock, as if the weight of her loss had not yet taken her toll
"I asked her what were their last words … She said all she could hear and say was, "Catch the babies!" Carolyn Coleman said:
A total of 14 people survived – less than half of the passengers of the boat and crew – Thursday evening.
CHARLIE RIEDEL / AP
Mallory Cunningham, left, Santino Tomasetti, center, and Aubrey Reece attend a candlelight vigil for those who died in the duck tragedy.
The tragedy was a sudden departure from what had been, for many, a beautiful summer day in Midwes retreat Dark clouds, strong winds and heavy rains suddenly transformed a routine disaster tour for 29 passengers and two crew members.
"Branson is a city of smiles," said Melody Pettit, spokesperson for the city of Branson. , where employees cleaned leftover food and water for the victims. "At this moment, we are in pain and we are not smiling."
Santino Tomasetti arrived at the Branson Belle Showboat, a riverboat restaurant not far from where the boat sank, at the moment first aid was pulling people out of the water. Those who reached the shore shivered, in shock, dried up – and Tomasetti hurried to get dry clothes and chairs for the paramedics to examine. It was then, he says, that reality began to hit them.
CHARLIE RIEDEL / AP
The duck remained inactive in the parking lot in the United States, where a similar boat sank, killing 17 people.
"There were a lot of people who just, the second they had a minute to calm down, they were crying, I'm starting to panic," Tomasetti said, noting that he wanted to help in every way possible. "When tourists come to Branson, they are our family and we want to take care of our family."
On Friday night, hundreds of community members and tourists lit candles, prayed and sang for the victims and their families. Outside the Ride The Ducks Branson office, the company that owned and operated the boat. Tomasetti stood in front of the crowd, the relatives of the victims, all in tears, kissing her. Outside the office were the cars that the victims had left before boarding the boat. Josh Daniel, who lives nearby, placed a flower on each car earlier in the day
"That broke us all."
Later, the cars were covered with flowers, cubs, balloons and handwritten signs. Daniel Scott took a knee placing a hand against the door on the side of a white SUV and prayed.
Soon, the crowd chanted amidst sniffles and sobs: "Amazing Grace", "How Great Thou Art" and "It's good with my soul."
At Rock Lane Resort and Marina, a loud crowd and a band playing country music at a Tiki bar suddenly became silent as people began to gather in front of a hasty memorial candle, rose and teddy bear. Two young men were sitting in front, lighting tiny red candles. None of them knew the victims, but they said that they felt compelled to join, both to say prayers and to show gratitude
"If this is not enough, was not for them, we would not have a city ". which is under construction and often works in vacation homes in Branson. Lyons says that he owes his livelihood to people like those who were on the Thursday duck – millions of tourists who come to Branson every year and fuel the city's economy.
"They could have gone somewhere else in the world, but they came here," said the other young man, Stephen Noe.
Branson, near the border of Arkansas with a population of 10,500, welcomes about 8 million tourists each year, among its popular attractions are ducks, Ride the Ducks has been in Branson for over four decades.
Questions remain about why the boat was in water, despite the predictions and warning of a potentially violent storm. Jim Pattison Jr., president of Ripley Entertainment, the parent company of Ride the Ducks, said the storm has suddenly arrived and surprised the crew.But the National Weather Service before noon had predicted the possibility of severe storms and strong winds Thursday late afternoon The boat sank around 19 hours
"Why did this boat come out? "Qua nd you are on vacation and you are on tour, you expect all those who run these facilities to be vigilant Carolyn Coleman said:
The driver, Robert "Bob" Williams, 73, resides in Branson, is among the dead.
The deceased passengers came from four states. William Asher, 69 years old; Rosemarie Hamann, 68 years old; Janice Bright, 63; and William Bright, 65, were from Missouri. Two – Steve Smith, 53; and Lance Smith, 15, was originally from Arkansas. One, Leslie Dennison, 64, was originally from Illinois. Nine came from Indiana, all from the Coleman family: Angela 45; Belinda, 69 years old; Ervin, 76; Glenn, 40; Horace, 70; Reece, 9; Eva, 7 years old; Maxwell, 2; and Arya, 1.
Capture images of the lake showed that the boat was swaying and swaying in incessant waves, while winds of 65 mph struck it with spray. Shortly after, the small flat-bottomed half-bus and half-boat sank, plunging 80 feet to the bottom of the lake. Another duck boat was on the lake on Thursday and went to shore.
David Plummer, associate pastor at the Noble Hill Baptist Church, said that while he was viewing these images online, he believed that the driver was continuing to steer the boat into the water. Swallowed.
"Lord, help him," Plummer recalls thinking. "He had no chance, I looked at him, this man gave his life."
Carolyn Coleman said that she and her husband intend to make a trip to Indiana for the funeral after the liberation of the bodies.
"He's trying to hang on," she says of her husband. "I'm just trying to support my husband and support him with what we have to endure, that's a lot."
– The Washington Post
