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Hundreds of community members gathered for a vigil in Branson, Missouri, for the benefit of 17 people, including 9 from the same family, who died suddenly during capsizing a duck.
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A man looks at a duck resting in the parking lot of Ride the Ducks in Branson, Missouri (Photo: Charlie Riedel, AP)

Amphibious ducks' visits like the one that killed 17 people in Branson, Missouri, should be banned last week, said Sunday the former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board

Jim Hall, former President of the NTSB. Clinton said Thursday the sinking on Ozarks Lake seemed strangely similar to a 1999 canoe incident that killed 13 people in Arkansas. Hall said that canoeing trips are essentially unregulated rides in amusement parks, a criticism that others have argued because amphibious vehicles do not fall into a boat or a bus

. "I think it's the responsible thing to do so that runners are not put at risk."

Arkansas, the NTSB has recommended that canoe operators install additional flotation devices for safety reasons. ensure that low-level vehicles will remain afloat even if their engines and bilge pumps stop working

Ducks, The gear known as DUKW is popular with tourists because it makes it possible to tourism on land and on water. But the vehicles have never been designed for extended use, and some duck operators have significantly modified them to accommodate additional passengers and extend their operating seasons.

The US Coast Guard said the sinking ship was built in 1944 inspection in February, the Kansas City Star reported. The company that operates the Branson ducks has ended its service.

Divers recovered a wrecked duck video recorder that could provide clues to the disaster. The recorder will be analyzed in an NTSB lab in Washington, DC, but it is still unclear whether the recorder was operating at the time of the fatal capsize or if any of its data can be recovered.

Keith Holloway, a spokesman for the NTSB, It was also said that the video recording device of the Branson duck had audio capabilities. The aircraft was retrieved by divers, a team of which had searched a creek on Table Rock Lake to locate the boat and the body of the deceased.

To learn more: Sunken Branson Duck had a video recorder. The officials have it, but I do not know if it works

The investigators also interviewed some of the survivors, said Holloway, as well as people on another duck who was on the lake at the same time time but managed to avoid and crash.

For nearly 20 years, federal authorities have warned tourists against the dangers of amphibious excursion boats, whose safety rules are uneven and sometimes contradictory. Operators have lengthened some of the boats with their original designs and sometimes added awnings and "walls" of clear vinyl, allowing them to operate in bad weather.

In his analysis of the 1999 Canoe Shipwreck, the NTSB stated: The Coast Guard did not properly monitor the private operation, and the owner failed to properly maintain the seal , which allowed the water to seep into the vehicle, Miss Majestic

"Contributing to the sinking was a flaw in the design of the DUKW as converted for passenger service, c. ie, the lack of adequate reserve buoyancy that would have allowed the vehicle to stay afloat in a flooded state, "said the NTSB." Contributing to the great loss of life was a continuous roof of canopy that has trapped passengers in the flowing vehicle. "

More: Wearing lifejackets reportedly aggravated the deadly duck accident Branson

The video of 39; a witness of Branson's duck just before he capsized suggests that his windows made of soft plastic could have been closed and could have trapped passengers while the hybrid boat-boat had fallen.

"There are things that run into your head, and the thought of a sails covering a child who can not swim without a lifejacket … is scary," Hall said.

Citing the ongoing investigation, the company declined to comment and referred all requests to the NTSB. Its website now carries a declaration of sadness, with the image of a black ribbon "The safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority. Ride the Ducks will be closed for business while we support the survey, and to give time to cry for families and the community. Thank you for your support, and we ask that your thoughts and prayers be with the families during this time. "

Because boats travel on land and in water, they are regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Coast Guard. " Fatal Traps ": Federal Authorities Warned against duck hazards for two decades

The Coast Guard requires lifejackets on boats, but leaves The NTSB advised passengers not to wear lifejackets on boats equipped with a lifejacket. Awnings, because when vehicles sink, lifejackets can float passengers in the sails and prevent escape. [19659008] The NTSB, which makes non-binding safety recommendations, asked for Removal of awnings from vehicles to reduce the risk of drowning.

The agency also recommended that the administration of highways regulates the vehicles used for traveling on ro ute require passenger seatbelts, but passengers should not wear seatbelts when the vehicle is in the water.

Many agencies are currently investigating the Branson canoe disaster. [19659008] To find out more: Before the accident in Branson, Missouri, the ducks had a history of death

Contribution: Will Schmitt, USA TODAY Network

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