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BRANSON, MO – As the duck was touring around Table Rock Lake, a popular summer tourist stop in southern Missouri, the sky was getting dark and a violent wind, more than 60 miles per hour, was starting to to beat him . The waves crashed against the sides of the boat, as it rose and fell sharply. While stunned spectators watched, some capturing video, the duck, carrying 31 people, suddenly slipped underfoot.
Seventeen people were killed in the crash Thursday night, officials said Friday and seven others, including three children. were taken in hospitals. Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims, but said their age ranged from 1 to 70. It was one of the deadliest duck accidents in history the United States.
The residents of Branson, a showy tourist town in the Midwest every summer, said the storm had occurred suddenly, shortly after weather agents had issued warnings, and with shocking ferocity
"The wind rose, they gave the warning Homan, a resident, said," then massive and straight winds came out of nowhere. "
L & # 39; accident raised new concerns about the safety of ducks, inspired by amphibious trucks used by the US Army and Marine Corps during the Second World War to transport troops and supplies between land and sea. water, and whether tourists should be passengers on them.After the sinking of a duck in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in May 1999, the National Transportation Safety Board (BST) called for radical changes to be made. ap brought to the manner in which these tourist boats operate
. In the evening, there were two ducks on the lake and both returned to the ground at the time of the accident. Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said, "The sinking boat had lifejackets, but the sheriff said he did not know if people wore them. Of the 31 people on the boat, 29 were passengers and two were crew members. The boat's captain, who had 16 years of experience on the lake, survived and was taken to hospital, but the authorities said that the other crew member, who was described as the driver, was dead.
Jim Pattison Jr. Ripley Entertainment, owner of the boat, said the weather was calm when the boat left the dock on Thursday. "There were no problems and they came out of the water and – and then they hit shortly after," Pattison told CNN on Friday morning. "It was almost like a microburst."
The National Weather Service office in Springfield, Missouri, issued a severe storm warning at 6:32 pm. for southern Missouri, including Table Rock Lake, about 35 minutes before authorities receive first calls for sinking of the boat
Jeff Raberding, a weather forecaster at the Springfield office, said the storm has entered the sector. at 75 mph, which were followed by heavy rain and lightning.
"We knew that there would be a risk of severe weather and we knew it in advance," Raberding said Friday morning. "I would not necessarily call it microburst because microburst is usually small – it was very prevalent." Also on Thursday, tornadoes swept Iowa, damaging a warehouse, homes and homes. 39, other structures.
The N.T.S.B. He stated that he would send a "departure" team to Table Rock Lake to begin an investigation into the accident. The Coast Guard was also investigating
"People are supposed to go out and have fun. , "he said." We should not be out there in severe weather. We are absolutely devastated. "
The duck boats are modeled on the DUKW, which brought materials down to the ground during the invasion of Normandy and carried howitzers during the landings at Iwo Jima. Duck vehicles have been used to transport tourists to places like Philadelphia, Wisconsin Dells and Branson.In canoes, passengers sit near the surface, which, according to critics, makes them more dangerous than A typical boat.
Prior to Thursday 's accident, the most deadly crash involving a duck was the 1999 accident in Arkansas, at the bottom of Lake Hamilton.The NTSB He ordered duck farmers across the country, including Branson's company, to equip their vessels with additional flotation devices to prevent sinking.
Miss Majestic victims drowned after being taken to trap the can operated when the ship took water and finally sank in 60 feet of water, the NTSB found.
The N.T.S.B. The investigation revealed that the United States Coast Guard had not complied with its own rules governing vessels. The agency's report indicated that the Coast Guard had generally demonstrated a "lack of adequate oversight" and that its inspection of the vessel had been "inadequate and superficial".
The probable reason for this sinking, according to the NTSB, was that the owner of the vessel, Land and Lakes Tours, had failed to maintain the boat
The Security Bureau also found that the ducks processed for the transport of passengers lacked buoyancy to stay afloat once they began to be submerged
. advise duck operators to resolve the problem: "Amend your amphibious passenger vessels without delay to ensure the buoyancy of the reserve by passive means, such as watertight compartments, built-in flotation or equivalent measures, so that they stay afloat and stand up in case of flood, even when carrying a full complement of passengers and crew. "
It is not clear if duck operators complied, and the Coast Guard, which regulates duck boats, did not respond immediately to calls asking for comments on Friday. [19659002InBranson70-minutestrollstakevisitorstoremarkablesitesalongthecity'sstreetsbeforedivingintoTableRockLakeandtheridesarepopularwithchildrenwhoreceiveyellowduckwhistlesthatmakeasplashquackandhavelongbeenarendezvousofBranson'sitinerariesaswellastheStampedeDollyPartonshowandtherollercoasteratSilverDollarCityamusementpark
.The boats at Branson were modeled on military vehicles, but specifically built as tour boats.According to an archived version of the tour operator's website, the ships include "modern security equipment" and "dis patented safety positives that no other DUKW style vehicle has. "
" So, relax and enjoy this unique experience "
John Eligon has reported from Branson, Mo., and Timothy Williams and Mitch Smith of Chicago. Jacey Fortin, Julia Jacobs and Matthew Haag, Susan C. Beachy, Gabe Cohn and Matt Stevens contributed to New York reporting.
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