Tragedy boat boat: captain faces criminal charges

At a press conference Thursday, Tim Garrison, US Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced the charges against Kenneth Scott McKee, 51.

Officials said McKee operated Stretch Duck 7 when the amphibious ship sank on July 19 in Branson, Missouri, with 31 people on board during a thunderstorm on the lake.

For each of the 17 people who died, a federal grand jury charged McKee for misconduct, negligence or inattention to duty on the part of one ship's officer, resulting in the death of another.

October 16: How a 1851 law is used to deny responsibility in the tragedy of a duck that killed 17 people

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Garrison said the charges are colloquially known as "the manslaughter of a sailor" and that McKee 's indictment was the "first" regarding the duck tragedy.

It is unclear whether further charges are forthcoming.

"This indictment represents the beginning, not the end of our efforts," said Garrison. He declined to comment on other possible charges, citing ethical rules.

According to the allegations made against McKee, he would not have properly assessed the time that he would be doing that night in July and then missed the opportunity to help the passengers to be safe. escape or bring the boat back to shore safely.

Prosecutors say that there was lightning in the Table Rock Lake area when McKee drove the duck to the water.

During the fatal trip, prosecutors said McKee had not ordered passengers to put on their personal flotation device, nor had the boat's side curtains been raised while boarding the water. The lawyers alleged the side curtains, in addition to the boat's top, which was blocking the passengers inside the ship during the sinking.

If he is found guilty, McKee could be sentenced to 10 years in prison for each of the 17 counts, prosecutors said.

Garrison said Thursday that McKee was not in custody but that he would be surrendering soon. Garrison declined to say whether McKee had cooperated with the investigation of the US Attorney's Office.

TO CLOSE

Tia Coleman, of Indianapolis, in Indiana, speaks to the press in Branson about the duck incident, which killed nine of her relatives, including her husband and three children.
Nikki Boliaux, United States Today

McKee's lawyer, J.R. Hobbs, said Thursday that he was expecting McKee to appear for the first time in court and plead not guilty. Hobbs declined to comment further on the allegations.

Ripley Entertainment, which operates Operation Branson Ride the Ducks, in addition to Ride the Ducks International, has also been sued by many duck survivors and family members of the deceased.

These prosecutions are ongoing in the judicial system. The US prosecutor's office had asked to delay certain proceedings in the lawsuits while he was pursuing his criminal investigation.

In the lawsuits, counsel stated that duck operators failed to consider weather warnings and disregarded calls to change boat designs after a similar tragedy in 1999 in Hot Springs, New Brunswick. l & # 39; Arkansas.

Branson is one of many places in the country where amphibious vehicles offer excursions. Since 1999, 42 deaths have been associated with duck accidents.

In August, the US Coast Guard found a likely cause to believe that the captain had "committed wrongdoing, negligence or inattention to duties".