duck tours accident

• International

Deadly duck boat accident in Missouri

By Veronica Rocha and Brian Ries , CNN

17 confirmed dead in duck boat accident

From CNN's AnneClaire Stapleton

Seventeen people are dead after a duck boat capsized Thursday night in Missouri, Southern Stone County Fire Protection spokesperson Eric Nielsen tells CNN.

The deceased include children, adults and elderly.

The bodies of all the missing people have now been accounted for.

Flowers placed on cars left in Ride the Ducks Branson parking lot

People have left makeshift memorials on the windshields of cars left in the parking lot of the company that ran the duck boat tour.

Four people are still missing.

Branson mayor: "We just jumped in and got involved wherever we were needed" 

Branson Mayor Karen Best said she heard about the capsizing boat within 60 seconds of the incident going across the police scanner.

"We just jumped in and got involved wherever we were needed," she told local media.

The focus right now is on healing the community and family members of the victim’s hearts, not pointing fingers on who is at fault, Best said.

Highway patrol is using sonar to search for bodies

The Missouri highway patrol is using sonar to view the objects on the bottom on the lake.

The divers will confirm objects found by the sonar, US Coast Guard Captain Scott Stoemer told local media outlets.

A severe storm hit the Branson area just before the boat sank

Branson was under a severe thunderstorm warning issued shortly after 6:30 p.m. (7:30 p.m. ET), about half an hour before the boat capsized. Jim Pattison Jr., president of the business's parent company, said he didn't know when the boat left the dock.

There were numerous reports of damage throughout the county, including trees down and structural damage, CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward said. The highest wind gust reported in the area was 63 mph.

The weather was part of the same line of storms that spawned numerous destructive tornadoes Thursday in Iowa, Missouri's northern neighbor.

Pattison said he believes the weather was calm when the duck boat went into the water, but things quickly changed.

"Partway through coming back is when ... the waves picked up and then obviously swamped the boat," he said Friday morning.

The company has been in operation for 47 years without any incident like this, he said.

Video shows one of the struggling duck boats before the sinking

Video posted by Jennie Phillips-Hudson Carr, which she recorded from a showboat nearby, showed two duck boats rocking and tilting to the side as the lake's ripples turned into massive waves.

Strong winds whipped waves head-on onto the boats. One of those duck boats returned to shore safely, but the other eventually sank.

"Oh my God, those poor people, oh no!" someone says in the background as the water crashes into the smaller boats.

"If there's kids on there, those poor babies," a female voice says.

Storm sinks duck boat in Missouri, killing 13 people, including children

An duck boat carrying 31 people sank on a southwestern Missouri lake Thursday evening, leaving at least 13 people dead -- including children -- and four others missing, officials said.

The Ride the Ducks Branson duck boat capsized and sank on Table Rock Lake near Branson, a popular family vacation destination about 200 miles southeast of Kansas City, after a storm "came out of nowhere," said Jim Pattison Jr., president of the business's parent company.

Divers resumed a search for the missing Friday morning, but it "doesn't look very good for survival," Missouri Gov. Mike Parson told CNN's "New Day."

"Right now, it's a recovery effort," Parson said.

Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.

9 family members among the 17 dead in Missouri duck boat accident

Severe thunderstorms struck the area at the time of the Thursday night accident.

Nine people in one family were among the 17 killed when a tourist duck boat capsized in a Missouri lake Thursday night, the governor's office said. Two other members of that family survived.

Twenty-nine passengers and two crew members were on board the amphibious craft when it plunged into 80 feet of water in Table Rock Lake near Branson as severe thunderstorms struck the area, officials said. The boat landed upright on its wheels, Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said.

Children were among the 17 killed, officials said. Seven others were injured, one seriously, the governor's office said. The ages of the victims range from 1 to 76 years old, according to the sheriff's office.

Belinda Coleman, Glenn Coleman, Horace "Butch" Coleman, Irvin Raymond Coleman, Angela Coleman, Evan Coleman, Reece Coleman, Maxwell Coleman and Arya Coleman all perished in the tragedy, a family member told ABC News.

Six patients were admitted to the Cox Medical Center Branson, hospital officials said in a press conference Friday afternoon. Two adults are in critical condition, and two children are in stable condition, officials said. One child and one adult have been released.

It appeared there were life jackets on board, Rader said, but it was not yet clear how many people were wearing them.

The captain survived, while the driver did not.

A survivor of the tragedy, who lost nine of her family members in the accident, says the captain of the boat told her family not to worry about life jackets, Fox affiliate WXIN reported .

"My husband would want me to say this -- he would want the world to know that on this boat we were on, the captain had told us 'don't worry about grabbing the life jackets -- you won't need them' so nobody grabbed them as we listened to the captain as he told us to stay seated," Tia Coleman said.

Tia Coleman also spoke to CBS affiliate KOLR from her hospital bed, telling them she lost her husband and all three of her children: Reece, Evan and Arya.

"I couldn't hear screams, it felt like I was out there on my own," Tia Coleman said. "And I was yelling, screaming and finally, I said, 'Lord, just let me die, let me die, I can't keep drowning, I just can't keep drowning.' And then I just let go."

A rescue boat ended up throwing her a life jacket and she was pulled aboard. Her 13-year-old nephew was the only other person from the family to survive, she told KOLR.

ABC News reached out to Ripley Entertainment, which owns the duck boat company, but they did not immediately respond.

An investigation is now underway.

The personal flotation devices, and whether they were worn, will "definitely be a focus of the investigation and certainly one of the questions we will be looking to ask," U.S. Coast Guard Captain Scott Stoermer said at a press conference Friday night.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which arrived at the scene Friday afternoon, said they are working to interview survivors as well as gather physical evidence. Some of the evidence will be taken back to Washington, D.C., for further analysis, according to an NTSB representative.

"We'll be working arduously to determine what happened, why it happened and how to prevent it from happening again," NTSB member Earl Weener said Friday.

Officials intent to try and salvage the vessel and are working with the owner, NTSB and experts in naval architecture to have a proper salvage plan in place. That will happen in the coming days, according to the USCG.

Counselors are on-hand to help survivors cope and also just be there for the "little things," she said. One counselor took a survivor with wet socks to the bathroom to help him dry them out, she said.

"While they're investigating, the thing to do is we're keeping our focus on the families, and once again keeping them in our thoughts and our prayers," Best said. "We're very resilient."

(MORE: A look back at past deadly duck tour incidents)

(more: how the missouri duck boat capsize unfolded amid weather warnings).

Severe evening thunderstorms, including winds in excess of 60 mph, struck the area at the time of the deadly crash. Eyewitness video showed the craft, which travels on land and water, taking on water as waves lashed at its sides.

Tony Burkhart posted a video on Twitter showing the stormy conditions on the lake before the boat capsized. He said he and his wife decided not to take the tour because of the weather.

Allison Lester, who was on a nearby boat, told "Good Morning America” Friday that the waters "were rough.”

"The wind really picked up bad and debris was flying everywhere,” she said.

Lester's boyfriend, Trent Behr, added: "We actually heard the captain say the boat flipped or the boat was sinking.”

Behr said he saw a woman lying in the water.

"We eventually did pull her up onto the boat," Behr said. "She was unconscious. I was about ready to start CPR and the EMT did show up at that time."

Suzanne Smagala-Potts of Ride the Ducks Branson, the company involved in the accident, said in a statement, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic accident."

"This incident has deeply affected all of us," Smagala-Potts said. "We will continue to do all we can to assist the families who were involved and the authorities as they continue with the search and rescue. The safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority."

“What happened here last night was a heart-breaking tragedy, and we must all work together to support the victims and their families,” Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said in a statement Friday. “The courageous efforts of emergency responders and civilian rescuers helped avert an even worse tragedy, as people rushed to help in extremely dangerous conditions. I was inspired by the stories I heard from some of those who were part of the rescue effort and tremendously encouraged by the strength of the family members of victims I met with today. We pray for all those who were affected by this terrible tragedy.”

President Trump and the First Lady "extend their deepest sympathies to all those affected by yesterday’s boating accident on Table Rock Lake," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement Friday. "Our prayers are with the victims and their loved ones. We are thankful for the brave first responders and dive crews, whose quick and decisive actions have saved many lives, and we continue to pray for their safety as their search, rescue, and recovery operations continue."

“Since the incident occurred, the Administration has been in contact with Governor Parson and other State and local officials, and the President will continue to monitor and receive regular updates on the situation,” the statement added.

President Trump also expressed his condolences for the victims Friday morning on Twitter.

"My deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those involved in the terrible boat accident which just took place in Missouri," President Trump said in a tweet. "Such a tragedy, such a great loss. May God be with you all!"

ABC News' Victor Oquendo, Scott Withers, Will Gretsky, Whitney Lloyd and Matt Foster contributed to this report.

Related Topics

• Duck Boat Accident

Top Stories

Smoke from Canadian wildfires reaches US, Minnesota under air quality alert

Woman uses self-checkout to steal $60,000 of items from same Target store over a year

• May 10, 5:03 AM

At least 11 dead, mostly students, in Indonesia bus crash after brakes apparently failed, police say

• May 12, 12:50 AM

Search ends for suspect in fatal 'ambush' of police officer

• 31 minutes ago

Controversy follows Gov. Kristi Noem as she is banned by two more South Dakota tribes

• May 11, 6:02 PM

ABC News Live

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Judge Dismisses Manslaughter Charges in Duck Boat Accident That Killed 17

A circuit court judge said prosecutors had not proved that three employees committed felony offenses by taking the boat out on a lake near Branson, Mo., before powerful thunderstorms struck.

By Alyssa Lukpat

A Missouri judge on Tuesday dismissed all criminal charges against three tour boat company employees in connection with a 2018 accident that killed 17 people near Branson, ruling that not enough evidence had been provided to support the counts of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment.

In his decision, Judge Alan Blankenship of circuit court in Stone County wrote that prosecutors had not shown that the employees committed felony offenses by taking the boat out on Table Rock Lake before powerful thunderstorms struck.

State and local prosecutors, who pursued the case together, argued at a preliminary hearing that the employees should not have taken the boat out on the lake as bad weather approached and that, if they were going to do so, they should have had the passengers wear flotation devices, according to Judge Blankenship’s decision.

But the judge wrote that prosecutors had not provided “sufficient evidence” to show the intent required to prove the charges. Prosecutors, he wrote, would have had to show that the employees had been acting recklessly or knowingly despite the circumstances.

Judge Blankenship dismissed the case without prejudice, meaning that prosecutors could bring charges again.

Chris Nuelle, a spokesman for the Missouri attorney general’s office, said in a statement on Tuesday that the office was “disappointed” in the court’s decision. He did not answer questions about why the judge was allowing the prosecutors to file charges again.

“Our office hopes to refile charges and continue this case,” he said.

Matt Selby, the Stone County prosecuting attorney, said that he was also “disappointed” in the judge’s ruling but that “we’ll be trying to make a decision in the next two or three days about what our next step will be, if anything.”

Lawyers for the three employees — Kenneth Scott McKee, Charles Baltzell and Curtis Lanham — each said on Tuesday that they respected the court’s decision.

“This is a terrible tragedy for all involved,” Justin Johnston, a lawyer for Mr. Baltzell, said.

Mr. McKee’s lawyers, J.R. Hobbs and Marilyn B. Keller, and Mr. Lanham’s lawyers, Thomas Bath and Tricia Bath, also said on Tuesday that the accident had been a tragedy but that they did not think it was appropriate to comment further.

The three employees were charged in July last year with a total of 63 criminal counts.

Mr. McKee, 54, the captain; Mr. Lanham, 39, the general manager; and Mr. Baltzell, 79, the manager on duty, were among the 31 people on the boat when it sank on July 19, 2018 . An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found that the employees had taken the boat, Stretch Duck 7, out on calm waters before winds picked up and heavy rain and lightning battered the region.

“In hindsight, it is evident that the defendants did not have enough weather information to appreciate the threat of high winds,” Judge Blankenship wrote.

He said that their company, Ride the Ducks Branson, had relied on a widely used online weather tool, Earth Networks, to check the conditions before the tour and that it had showed an approaching storm but not strong winds.

Judge Blankenship wrote that the weather tool and the employees’ view of the sky “likely gave the impression” that the boat could avoid the storm.

He also said that there was no evidence that Mr. McKee, the captain, who had 16 years of experience, had “an affirmative duty” to require passengers to wear flotation devices.

Ripley Entertainment, which acquired Ride the Ducks Branson in 2017, said in a statement on Tuesday that it had cooperated with all of the investigations into the accident and that it would “continue to support our current and former employees.”

A federal judge dismissed neglect and misconduct charges against the three employees in December 2020.

Among the 17 people who died were children and a family of nine. The boat sank 85 feet underwater as onlookers heard people screaming and watched the boat being swamped by the surging waves. It was one of the deadliest accidents involving a tour boat in U.S. history.

Alyssa Lukpat is a breaking news reporter and a member of the 2021-22 New York Times fellowship class. More about Alyssa Lukpat

Duck Boat Tragedy: Four years since ‘Ride the Ducks’ boat capsized on Table Rock Lake

BRANSON, Mo. (KY3) - Tuesday marks four years since a Ride the Ducks boat on Table Rock Lake capsized during a storm, sinking and killing 17 people on board.

On July 19, 2018, a Stretch Duck 7 duck boat with 31 people on board capsized and sank in stormy weather near Branson, Missouri.

Sixteen passengers, including nine from the same family and one crew member driving the boat, drowned that night, leading to one of the deadliest boating accidents in United States history.

In their initial assessment, authorities blamed thunderstorms and winds that approached hurricane strength. The duck boat sank under high waves while winds around the area reached up to 70 miles per hour that day.

Investigators say Ride the Ducks had plenty of warning about the severe weather, but the boat still launched more than 20 minutes after a thunderstorm warning was issued for Table Rock Lake.

THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Four years later, people are still pushing for answers and working to come to terms with what happened.

On April 7, the Missouri Attorney General and Stone County Prosecutor refiled 63 criminal charges against three employees on duty when tragedy struck. Captain Kenneth Scott McKee and two supervisors, Curtis Lanham and Charles Baltzell, all face a slate of felonies that include at least 17 criminal charges each.

This decision came just two days after Stone County Judge Alan Blankenship dismissed 63 state-based charges initially filed against McKee, Lanham and Baltzell last year. When the charges were dismissed on April 5, Judge Blankenship ruled the unique characteristics of the boat led to it rapidly sinking. He also said the staff was aware of the storm, but there is no evidence they were aware of the storm’s “gust front.”

As part of the latest court proceedings, Captain McKee faces 17 involuntary manslaughter charges and 12 endangering the welfare of a child-death of a child charges. Lanham and Baltzell each face 17 involuntary manslaughter charges.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt released this statement to KY3 News on the new charges on April 7:

“As I’ve said previously, my office is committed to fighting for justice on behalf of the 17 people that were tragically killed in 2018 - that’s why we refiled the charges in this case.”

Schmitt released this statement last year when his office first filed charges:

“There was a severe weather event already taking place. Based on his training and experience, he should have never gone in the water that day. There were also folks, the GM and the operations officer, who should have known better too, and the consequences here were incredibly tragic.”

Last year, Missouri U.S. Sens. Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley reintroduced federal legislation to improve the safety of duck boats. The bill would require the use of life jackets and equipping all duck boats to be more buoyant during emergency flooding.

“These common-sense safety measures, which are long overdue and need to go into effect immediately, will help prevent an incident like this from ever happening again,” said Sen. Blunt.

The U.S. Senate passed the bill during its latest go-around, but the legislation did not make it through the House.

REMEMBERING THE TRAGEDY

For emergency responders, the scene that unfolded at Table Rock Lake remains vivid in their minds.

“Huge waves coming in, hitting that rock face and just going up that rock face. I’m just like ‘Wow.’ I’m like ‘I can see why a duck boat sank,’” said Mike Moore, Southern Stone County Fire Protection District Deputy Chief.

“It was chaos,” Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said. “One of the hardest things in the first 20 minutes there was trying to grasp ‘Where [are] all 30 of our people that were on this duck?’ It took a while to understand that they’d drown.”

Fire crews, police officers, paramedics, and state troopers flooded to the docking area of the Showboat Branson Belle, where the Ride the Ducks boat was supposed to get back on land. The boat capsized nearly 150 feet from that location.

“In almost 30 years of law enforcement, that was probably one of the most traumatic events I have been involved in,” said Rader. ” I had a deputy on [the Belle] who jumped in and helped save people and dragged the deceased out of the water. He’ll forever be affected by that. The emotional impact it made on everyone in this area, that tragedy will never be forgotten.”

Tia Coleman and her nephew are among the survivors, but she lost several family members in the accident.

“Keep us in prayer. We’re going to need it,” said Coleman days after the tragedy.

Attorneys for Coleman say she was disappointed when federal charges against the captain and attraction supervisors were dismissed last year, but she has renewed hope that the new charges filed by the state will bring justice for her and all the families impacted by the tragedy.

RESEARCH AND FINDINGS

Duck boats, like the one that capsized near Branson, were originally designed for the military, specifically to transport troops and supplies in World War II. They were later modified for use as sightseeing vehicles for tours that begin on land before going into the water.

In November 2019, the National Transportation Safety Board released a “Safety Recommendation Report” on the accident. The report mentions that the U.S. Coast Guard had repeatedly ignored safety recommendations that could have made tourist duck boats safer and potentially prevented the tragedy.

CLICK HERE for the NTSB Safety Recommendation Report

The report is similar to one issued in 1999 after a deadly accident involving an amphibious vehicle in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Thirteen people were killed in that accident.

According to the report, the NTSB repeatedly urged the Coast Guard to require upgrades for the boats to stay afloat when flooded and to remove barriers to escape, such as canopies. The report found that a fixed canopy and closed side curtain impeded passenger to escape, likely causing more deaths.

“Lives could have been saved, and the Stretch Duck 7 accident could have been prevented had previously issued safety recommendations been implemented,” said NTSB Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt in a November 2019 statement.

The NTSB says it recommended changes to 30 duck boat operators several years ago, but only one has made the recommended improvements.

In April 2020, the NTSB released findings of its investigation into the sinking of the Ride the Ducks vessel. Following the investigation, the Coast Guard agreed that canopies and side curtains should be removed from the duck boats, according to documents.

A lieutenant says the Coast Guard issued guidance in 2000, after an NTSB recommendation, urging inspectors and vessel owners to evaluate canopy design and installation. The guidance also recommended inspections of the design, sets, deck rails, windshields and windows “to ensure the overall arrangement did not restrict the ability of passengers to escape.”

An unrelated internal investigation performed by the National Weather Service found that local meteorologists followed the procedure necessary to ensure public safety on the night the duck boat capsized.

LOOKING BACK AND AHEAD

Robert Mongeluzzi, an attorney for survivor Tia Coleman, hopes the recommendations handed down by the NTSB in 2019 will finally be adopted by the Coast Guard.

“It is rare for one federal agency to really go after another. I was struck by how strongly the NTSB indicated that the Coast Guard just had not done the job they were supposed to do, which is protecting passengers and making safety first,” said Mongeluzzi.

Mongeluzzi says he and Coleman plan to meet with Coast Guard officials in the future to lobby for stricter laws and regulations.

“It was a very frustrating and emotional day for Tia Coleman,” said Mongeluzzi. “Her family would be alive if the duck boat industry had done their job and if the Coast Guard had done their job. Both of them have the blood of 17 victims here and two in Philadelphia on their hands.”

Ripley Entertainment, Inc., the company that operated duck boat rides in Branson, has settled 31 lawsuits filed on behalf of victims of the accident. The final lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount in January 2020.

Ride The Ducks, however, has not operated in Branson since the tragedy four years ago.

ORIGINAL COVERAGE:

July 20, 2018

Branson mourns for 17 killed in sinking of packed duck boat

RELATED COVERAGE:

April 7, 2022

Charges refiled in Branson duck boat tragedy as the U.S. Senate considers bill calling for safety improvements

April 5, 2022

Judge dismisses state charges against 3 Ride the Ducks employees in 2018

March 22, 2022

Duck Boat rides returning to Branson for summer season

Dec. 8, 2021

Stone County judge to decide in March if criminal case filed in Duck Boat tragedy will proceed

July 16, 2021

Stone Co. prosecutor, Missouri attorney general files 63 new charges against 3 in Ride the Ducks tragedy

January 28, 2021

Senators Blunt, Hawley reintroduce duck boat safety legislation

January 8, 2021

Man planning new Branson duck boat tour business details safety measures

April 28, 2020

Attorney for duck boat tragedy survivor, Tia Coleman, says she’s focused on change

November 13, 2019

NTSB: Coast Guard ignored duck boat safety proposals

July 19, 2019

First responders recall the duck boat tragedy, one year later

July 17, 2019

A year after tragedy, city of Branson debates future of duck boats

Copyright 2020 KY3. All rights reserved.

GALLERY: Northern lights spotted over the Ozarks

Family pays it forward by gifting new truck to graduating senior dealing with car problems

Solar storm puts on brilliant light show with another chance Saturday to see Northern Lights

Springfield police say missing teen found safe

FIRST ALERT WEATHER: Better rain chances & a touch cooler Monday

Latest news.

Missouri State Fair concert ticket presale starts this week

Marshfield sidewalk chalk memorial honors mothers and families who have lost a child

Marshfield sidewalk chalk memorial honors mothers who have lost a child

• Weather App
• Interactive Radar
• 7 Day Forecast
• Hour by Hour
• Current Temperatures
• Closings & Delays
• Report School or Business Closing
• School administrators: Create a closings account
• Watch Live News
• Breaking Stream
• The $pend $mart Stream
• Law & Crime
• Curiosity NOW
• Share Your Photos and Videos
• Karen Read Murder Trial
• 25 Investigates
• New England's Unsolved
• Boston Bruins
• Boston Celtics
• Boston Red Sox
• New England Patriots
• Furever Friday
• Boston 25 Gets Real
• Steals and Deals
• Submit a news tip
• Advertise with Us
• TV & Stream Schedule
• Work at Boston 25 (Opens in new window)
• Visitor Agreement
• Privacy Policy
• Around Town
• Stuff the Bus

Boston 25 Now

Deadly duck tour boat crashes date back nearly two decades

As families and friends mourn the deaths of 17 people killed on a tourist duck boat in Branson, Missouri, the National Transportation Safety Board is beginning its investigation into what caused the crash.

>>Related: 9 members of one family among 17 killed in duck boat accident on lake in Branson, Missouri 

The tragedy at Table Rock Lake wasn’t the first time a duck amphibious vehicle had been involved in a deadly crash.

Since 1999, 40 people have been killed in deadly crashes involving amphibious tour buses, according to The Associated Press .

>> Read more trending news

1999: Arkansas

“Miss Majestic” sank May 1, 1999 near Hot Springs, Arkansas in Lake Hamilton.

The boat was only seven minutes into its tour when it sank by the stern and went to the bottom of the lake, according to the Associated Press .

Thirteen people were killed.

The boat had to be hoisted out of the lake by a crane.

The NTSB report found that roofs or canopies on the duck boats put passengers in danger, because passengers could become trapped underneath them -- especially if they were wearing life jackets, because of their natural buoyancy.

The cause of the accident was determined to be inadequate maintenance of the vehicle, built by the U.S. Army in 1944.

2003: Boston

Rosemary Hamelburg, 63, fell backward off a duck boat into a parking lot while taking a photo on a duck boat in Boston.

She died four days later.

Her family filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Her family and lawyers said the duck boat operation failed to follow its own safety policies on board the Boston Duck Tours Boat.

The company settled with Hamelburg’s estate for $425,000.

2010: Philadelphia 

A collision between a duck boat and a stalled tugboat on the Delaware River in Philadelphia caused the duck boat to sink.

Two students from Hungary were killed and over 25 people hurt, WPVI reports.

The NTSB determined that the tugboat operator was distracted by talking to family members on his cellphone and laptop.

The duck boat was also found at fault -- investigators found the boat had maintenance issues and faulted the captain for anchoring in an active boat channel.

2015: Philadelphia 

Elizabeth Karnicki, 68, of Beaumont, Texas, was hit and killed as she crossed a busy Philadelphia street at rush hour in May 2015.

Her husband argued duck boats have large blind spots and drivers cannot see pedestrians.

According to the Kansas City Star , he sued the company but eventually settled.

2015: Seattle

Five college students were killed and 69 others hurt after a duck boat collided with a charter bus on Seattle’s Aurora Bridge in September 2015.

The NTSB determined that an axle on the duck boat broke, causing the driver to lose control and slam into the charter bus, carrying a group of international students.

NTSB investigators determined that Ride the Ducks International, the duck boat parent company, violated law by not telling regulators about a safety defect on the duck boat’s axle and failing to issue a recall.

The company agreed to pay all penalties.

2016: Boston

Allison Warmuth, 28, was hit and killed by a duck boat while riding a motor scooter in downtown Boston in 2016, NBC reports .

NTSB investigators found that the duck boat driver took his eyes off the road to point out landmarks along the tour before the accident.

This prompted the Massachusetts legislature to pass a new law prohibiting drivers from serving as a tour guide and driver.

The duck boats were also required to add new safety equipment, including blind spot cameras.

The  Associated Press contributed to this article

Cox Media Group

New list names ‘most beautiful restaurant’ in each New England state

16-year-old dead, several injured after shooting at large party in Northboro

‘Cruel world’: Aaron Hernandez’s fiancée slams jokes made about late NFL player at Tom Brady roast

Karen Read murder trial: A guide to the key players you need to know

Weymouth man who received first-of-its-kind pig kidney transplant has died

Missouri Fatal Incident Sparks Renewed Concerns About Boston Duck Tours

A woman driving a scooter was killed in 2016 during a crash with one of boston's duck boat tours vehicles, by cassy arsenault and karla rendon-alvarez • published july 20, 2018 • updated on july 20, 2018 at 7:27 pm, what to know.

• At least 13 are dead after a duck boat capsized and sank on a Missouri lake during a thunderstorm Thursday; 4 are still missing
• Boston Duck Tours says its severe weather policy allows them to cancel rides if the conditions are unsafe
• Boston Duck Tour boats don't require seatbelts, but do have life jackets for safety

With the recent fatalities reported after a sightseeing duck boat capsized and sank in a Missouri lake, concerns over the safety of Boston’s own Duck Boat Tours have resurfaced.

The popular tourist ride boasts a unique, historical tour around the city and states that safety is its top priority.

After a fatal crash involving a motorist on a scooter in 2016, the company updated its operation to prevent another accident from happening again. A second person was assigned to each duck boat with one person operating the vehicle and the other giving a tour.

Tourists visiting Boston on Friday said although they felt horrible about what happened in Missouri, they felt safe riding the boats.

"I feel pretty safe about what's happening here in Boston," said Jennifer Young, a tourist visiting from California.

"On the way here to ride the duck boats, we said a prayer to all those that were affected, those that have passed away," added Colleen Willard, a tourist from Chicago.

The Missouri duck boat sank during a thunderstorm, killing at least 13 of the 31 people on board. Boston’s Duck Boat Tours’ severe weather policy states it may cancel rides if conditions are unsafe.

"I can just imagine the heartache and the tragedy because when you’re out and you're enjoying something, you know, fun to do in life, and all of a sudden tragedy hits. It’s really hard," Willard said.

"Boston Duck Tours runs rain or shine," their policy states. "However, we may be forced to cancel either the water portion or the entire tour itself under severe weather conditions... Cancellations are done at the discretion of the Dispatcher based on the current weather conditions at the time of the tour."

There are no seatbelts on board because state law does not require them, but they carry life jackets for safety and enforce several safety measures.

Vehicles are checked every year by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and U.S. Coast Guard, according to Boston’s Duck Boat Tours. Its vehicles are also reportedly checked multiple times a day by mechanics. Drivers must also complete several weeks of training before they can operate one of the vehicles.

This article tagged under:

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

NTSB: Missouri Duck Boat Sinking That Killed 17 Could Have Been Avoided

Scott Neuman

A duck boat sits idle in the parking lot of Ride the Ducks, an amphibious tour operator in Branson, Mo., in July 2018. The company has since closed. Charlie Riedel/AP hide caption

A duck boat sits idle in the parking lot of Ride the Ducks, an amphibious tour operator in Branson, Mo., in July 2018. The company has since closed.

The 2018 sinking of a duck boat on Missouri's Table Rock Lake that killed 17 people would likely not have occurred if the U.S. Coast Guard had acted on recommendations made after a similar tragedy more than two decades ago, NTSB investigators said Tuesday.

During a teleconferenced meeting of the National Transportation Safety Board ahead of the release of the agency's final report on the accident, investigator Brian Young also said the accident could have been avoided if the operator of the Ride the Ducks attraction had heeded weather warnings of an impending derecho .

9 Of Those Killed In Duck Boat Capsizing Were Related

"On the day of the accident, the National Weather Service accurately forecasted and issued timely notifications of a severe thunderstorm that would impact the accident location," an abstract of the yet-unpublished final report concluded. "Ride the Ducks did not effectively use all available weather information to monitor the approaching severe weather and assess the risk it posed to its waterborne operations."

About 35 minutes after leaving the dock near the resort town of Branson on July 19, 2018, Stretch Duck 7, a modified World War II-era landing craft known as a DUKW, was seen struggling to make headway through steep waves as it took on water. Of the 31 people aboard, 16 passengers — including nine from the same family — and one of the two crew members aboard drowned.

The National Weather Service has said that winds reached 65 mph on the lake at the time of the accident.

The boat's captain, Kenneth Scott McKee, survived the accident. He was indicted in November 2018 on 17 counts of misconduct, negligence and inattention to duty by a ship's officer. More charges were added to McKee's indictment in June of last year, when two other employees of Ride the Ducks of Branson — its general manager at the time of the accident, Curtis P. Lanham, and operations supervisor, Charles V. Baltzell — were also charged with negligence.

Duck Boat Tour's Final Minutes Chronicled In Preliminary NTSB Report

At the NTSB teleconference, investigators reiterated that failing to implement all 22 recommendations the agency made after a previous duck boat sank in Arkansas in 1999 , killing 13 people, contributed to the 2018 accident. All but nine of them were ignored, including a key recommendation to add "reserve buoyancy" to the boats, allowing them to stay afloat after taking on water. Among other problems with the design of the vessels, the NTSB said they had insufficient "freeboard" — clearance between the deck and the waterline.

"NTSB investigators found that the accident vessel was originally constructed with a low freeboard, an open hull, and no subdivision or flotation, resulting in a design without adequate reserve buoyancy. Additionally, the NTSB cited previous inaction to address emergency egress on amphibious passenger vessels with fixed canopies which impeded passenger escape from the Stretch Duck 7," investigators concluded.

The NTSB released an April 15 letter it received from Daniel Abel, vice admiral of the Coast Guard, in which the service agreed that canopies and side curtains should be removed from the boats.

NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said duck boats should not be allowed to operate until the agency's recommendations are implemented. As of last year, more than a dozen duck boat tours were operating across the U.S. from California to Maine.

Sumwalt said he was "very optimistic" the Coast Guard was committed to improving small passenger boat safety.

Ripley Entertainment, which operated the now defunct Ride the Ducks of Branson, has settled 31 lawsuits filed by survivors or relatives of those who died, according to The Associated Press.

"We remain dedicated to working with the community of Branson, and continuing our support of all those who were impacted by the accident," company spokeswoman Suzanne Smagala-Potts said.

• Traffic Lab

4 dead, 2 critically injured in collision between Ride the Ducks vehicle, charter bus on Aurora Bridge

Four North Seattle College students were killed and numerous others have been injured in a collision between a Ride the Ducks tour vehicle and a charter bus on the Aurora Bridge.

Share story

Related coverage :.

• Duck rider heard ‘Oh, no!’ before Aurora Bridge crash that killed 4
• Span’s narrow lanes a longtime safety concern
• At least 3 fatal Duck-tour accidents nationally since 1999
• Sadness in international-student community after tour-bus tragedy

Update at 11:30 p.m.:  All lanes of the Aurora Bridge reopened late Thursday night after crews cleared the roadway of wreckage.

Update at 10:55 p.m.:  One patient was discharged from Harborview Medical Center Thursday evening, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said in a statement. Now, 15 patients are being treated there. Two are in critical condition in intensive care. Ten victims are in serious condition in intensive care, while three victims are in satisfactory condition.

Fatal crash on Aurora Bridge

Update at 8:40 p.m.:  Crews began removing the wreckage from the Aurora Bridge Thursday evening. Police officers and other officials watched as the Duck vehicle was loaded onto a flatbed tow truck.

Update at 7:30 p.m.: A 17-member, interdisciplinary team from the National Transportation Safety Board, along with an NTSB board member, are due to arrive in Seattle Friday to begin their inquiry into the crash.

Mayor Ed Murray said the city has been in touch with the governor’s office and the U.S. State Department to assist families of the victims, expected to travel here from several countries.

Murray said he said he expects city officials, including himself, will make themselves available to meet with families of those who have been killed or injured.

The Seattle Hotel Association has offered to provide rooms for victims’ family members as they arrive in Seattle.

Murray said “This is a very very very very difficult moment for so many families in our community.”

Chief O’Toole said she understands there is a “strong need for answers . . . But it is too early at this point to draw any conclusions as to the cause of this accident.”

After the police complete their investigation, Seattle Transportation crews will inspect the bridge surface and its underside to see if it can be safely reopened, said SDOT Director Scott Kubly.

Update at 5:37 p.m.: Sixteen patients are currently being treated at Harborview Medical Center, according to spokeswoman Susan Gregg. Two are critical condition in intensive care and nine are serious in intensive care.

Four are satisfactory condition and are not in intensive care.

One patient was transferred from another hospital to Harborview and is satisfactory condition.

Two patients have been discharged from Harborview.

Update at 5:32 p.m.: Donors anxious to give blood to help victims of the Aurora Bridge crash overwhelmed Bloodworks Northwest sites in person and online Thursday, prompting officials to plea for patience.

“Scheduling a blood donation anytime during the next four to five days will help us respond to this tragedy, and replenish the local supply to meet normal patient needs,” said Dave Larsen, a spokesman for the agency.

Most Read Local Stories

• Seattle could get another northern lights show Saturday night WATCH
• Seattle area gets a stunning view of the aurora borealis WATCH
• Q&A: What to know about a strong solar storm and aurora in Western WA WATCH
• Three Bob Night: Two more Bob Fergusons running for WA governor
• Biden slams Trump, hints at Inslee recruitment at Seattle fundraiser WATCH

Dozens of people lined up outside a downtown Seattle donation site and a surge of users crashed the agency’s website after Bloodworks officials issued an urgent demand for blood earlier in the day.

Hospitals across Seattle spiked demand for blood after the crash that killed four people, left eight critically injured and dozens more hurt.

The need remains, particularly for O-positive and O-negative blood types, Larsen said. But people hoping to donate should schedule sessions online instead of showing up.

Area hospitals generally have a sufficient supply to meet the demands of such emergencies, but with so many injuries in a concentrated time and location, donors are needed to build reserves back up quickly.

For more information, visit www.bloodworksnw.org .

Update at 4:19 p.m.: A former driver for Ride the Ducks describes the drive on the Aurora Bridge:

“The Aurora Bridge in either direction is the scariest part of the trip because the lanes are so narrow and there is so much traffic,” the driver, who asked not to be named, wrote in an email. “I remember being told in training that the Duck would fit in a lane but that if you felt safer to go ahead and straddle over the line some (if the next lane was open, of course.) Most drivers stayed in the far right lanes, never passed on the bridge.

“The driver is operating a 26,000-pound vehicle that is very wide with a max of 36 lives in your hands. As you approach the Aurora Bridge from the south, you are lining up how you are going to go over the bridge (hug the concrete on the right side or cheat over to the left, straight down the lane or straddle), you are telling tourists to get out their cameras for the Kodak moment while on the bridge and you are trying to queue the music to play ‘Come Fly With Me’ by Michael Buble.

Update at 3:34 p.m.: Four people were killed and eight others were critically injured when a Ride the Ducks tour vehicle careened into a charter bus carrying international students on the Aurora Bridge late Thursday morning.

All four of the dead were students at North Seattle College. Another 20 people suffered minor injuries.

A witness described the amphibious Duck vehicle, which was headed north, swerving and hitting an SUV before colliding with and ripping out the side of the southbound bus.

“We’ve had a terrible tragedy,” Mayor Ed Murray said during a news briefing about two hours after the crash. “The thoughts and prayers of this city go out to everyone ­— the families and those impacted.”

Murray said the city will face significant transportation problems for the rest of the day, as Aurora Avenue will be closed between 39th and Denny into the evening.

The Ballard and Fremont bridges will remain closed to boat traffic, to help alleviate some of the stress. The mayor asked people to make their transportation plans around the crisis.

Seattle firefighters evaluated more than 50 people for injuries, with bleeding victims laid out on yellow tarps in a triage area.

The bus was chartered by North Seattle College to transport 45 students and employees of the school’s international program, said spokeswoman Melissa Mixon. College President Warren Brown said the passengers were part of a new-student-orientation group that was heading to Safeco Field and potentially to Pike Place Market after that.

The college has about 900 international students, many from Asia, out of a total enrollment per quarter of about 4,000, Mixon said. The bus involved in the collision is owned by Bellair Charters and Airporter .

Mixon said uninjured students were being brought back to the campus, where crisis counselors were on hand. Some of the students were also taken to  nearby Woodland Park Zoo.

Ride the Ducks’ Seattle headquarters was closed after the accident, and president Brian Tracey said he is “trying to get more information, just like you.”

“It was devastating,” he said. “All I care about is the safety of the passengers and the people who were injured on the duck.”

The distinctive, six-wheeled amphibious vehicles are a common sight around Seattle, particularly in summer. They transport tourists on what’s described as a “party on wheels,” with singalongs and a route that includes Pioneer Square, the Seattle waterfront and a plunge into Lake Union.

A woman who witnessed the crash said two SUVs were also involved. “It’s really bad,” she said.

Jesse Christenson, 32, of Portland, also watched the crash unfold. “The Duck boat was 100 yards in front of me, the first car in front of me,” she said. “What I saw was the Duck boat had its blinker on, trying to get into the left lane. Then all of a sudden the Duck boat turned sharper to the left.”

Christenson said she initially thought the amphibious vehicle had a blowout, but that when she walked up to the vehicle after the crash, it looked like it had some sort of “vehicle malfunction.”

“It looked like the wheel on the Duck bus broke off,” she said. “There was a wheel assembly in the road.”

Brad Volm, 23, of Philadelphia, was driving one of the SUVs involved in the crash, and described red fluid leaking from the Duck’s front left tire.

Another driver swerved to avoid the Duck and bus and Volm crashed head-on into that other vehicle, he said.

“It all happened so fast,” said Volm, who was on a cross-country trip with his friend Bradley Sawhill. “I got out of my car and there were bodies just everywhere. People laying in the street.”

Christenson called 911.

“The scene was pretty gruesome,” he said.

Bellair issued a statement Thursday afternoon that read, in part, “We are devastated and heartbroken by the fatalities. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the loved ones of the deceased.”

The bus and its driver were based out of Federal Way. The driver was physically OK but struggling to grapple with the aftermath of the crash, said Richard Johnson, general manager of Bellair Charters.

“It is so sad, for the families involved,” Johnson told the Bellingham Herald. “We need prayer.”

After staffers from the renowned Canlis ran out onto the bridge to help immediately after the accident, the restaurant canceled dinner service and opened its doors to first-responders.

“We’re just a good spot for a cup of coffee and a restroom and lunch,” said co-owner Mark Canlis. “It’s pretty much the natural thing to do. Chef just made some sandwiches for those who are kind of just wandering in. We’re taking care of them the best we can.”

Chef Brady Williams added, “We’re hosting the police and firefighters, and doing whatever we can do.”

It’s Canlis’ first unplanned closure since opening in 1950. The restaurant, located just off the south end of the Aurora Bridge, is considered among the best in Seattle.

Update at 3:28 p.m.: State safety officials in Washington who oversee motor carriers opened an investigation Thursday into the crash.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC), which regulates Bellair Charters and Ride the Ducks of Seattle,  will inspect vehicle and driver records related to the crash to determine if the companies complied with state and federal safety regulations.

Bellair Charters, based in Ferndale, Whatcom County,  was last inspected by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in 2013 and received a satisfactory rating, according to the UTC.

The company’s overall safety record in the past two years appears to be good, according to federal records.

The UTC conducted a comprehensive safety inspection of Ride the Ducks’ fleet, including driver qualifications, employee drug and alcohol testing and vehicle-maintenance records in December 2012, issuing a satisfactory rating to the company, the agency said.

UTC inspectors will issue a preliminary report once the investigation is completed.

Update at 2:24 p.m.: All four people killed in Thursday’s crash were students at North Seattle College.

Ron Chow, a representative of the Chinese consulate, said after speaking with hospital and North Seattle College officials, confirmed that all four bus passengers who died were students.

In all, 48 students from six countries were involved, Chow said. He wasn’t sure how many of them are Chinese.

College President Warren Brown said the bus riders were part of a new-student-orientation group that was heading to Safeco Field and potentially to Pike Place Market afterward.

Update at 2:21 p.m.: Bloodworks Northwest is issuing an urgent demand for blood donors to replenish local supplies depleted Thursday by a massive fatal accident on the Aurora Bridge. “We got a call for 15 STAT O-negative units at Harborview,” said Dave Larsen, a spokesman for the regional blood center.

In addition to Harborview Medical Center, a level-1 trauma center, other area hospitals were also issuing requests for blood to help victims of the accident that killed at least four and critically injured at least 12 , he added.

“They’re coming in fast and furious,” he said. “It’s just a huge demand from one event.”

There’s additional demand for blood components for victims in the crash that involved up to 50 people, including many less seriously hurt, said Dr. James AuBuchon, Bloodworks president and chief executive.

Area hospitals generally have a sufficient supply to meet the demands of such emergencies, but with so many injuries in a concentrated time and location, donors are needed to build reserves back up quickly, Larsen said.

O-negative and O-positive blood types are especially needed, officials said. Donors may make appointments as soon as possible at one of the center’s 12 sites or at a mobile drive.

Update at 2:13 p.m.: Harborview Medical Center update from spokeswoman Susan Gregg: 17 at Harborview, eight critical, eight serious, one satisfactory — of those, three are in surgery. Youngest patient is 17.  Thirty others at other hospitals with less serious injuries. A total of 47 patients.

Not expecting additional patients at Harborview.

Update at 1:54 p.m.: Warren Brown, the president of North Seattle College, said there were two buses of students and staff on the college trip, with 45 students and staff in each.  He spoke briefly at Woodland Park Zoo, where some of those people were taken after the crash.  About 25 of them were uninjured or didn’t have serious injuries and were taken back to campus. Brown  said he didn’t yet have a clear number of how many students and staff were injured.

Trinidad Alcaraz, security and EMT manager at the zoo, said the 25 people at the zoo were all young, and all were examined by the zoo’s security staff and emergency-medical technicians.  He said he believed all of them had been on the first bus.

“Some had some minor injuries, obviously shock,” he said.  “We made further recommendation that they be seen at the college and be re-evaluated.

About 30 people from the college came to pick them up and drive them back to campus, Alcaraz said.

Update at 1:45 p.m.: Brad Volm, 23, of Philadelphia, was driving north in an SUV behind a Ride the Ducks vehicle when the amphibious vehicle “swerved” and crashed into the Bellair charter bus. He said it appeared there was something wrong with the Duck’s front left tire, which had red fluid leaking from it.

Another driver swerved to avoid the Duck and the  bus and Volm crashed head-on into that other vehicle, he said.

“It all happened so fast,” said Volm, who was on a cross-country trip with his friend Bradley Sawhill. “I got out of my car and there were bodies just everywhere. People laying in the street.”

Update at 1:34 p.m.: Brian Tracey, president of Ride the Ducks, said he is “trying to get more information, just like you.”

“It was devastating,” he said. “All I care about is the safety of the passengers and the people who were injured on the Duck.”

He said the company has a good safety record. “We train and train and train and have ongoing continuing-education classes with our captains and our drivers to make sure they’re being safe all the time,” he said.

Meanwhile, 14 total patients are being treated at at Harborview Medical Center. Twelve are critical, one is serious and one is satisfactory. Injuries range from face to head.

The other 30 patients are less seriously injured and were triaged to local hospitals, including UW Medical Center and Northwest Hospital & Medical Center. Family members who might think a loved one is at Harborview, can call 206-520-5200.

Update at 1:14 p.m.: Victims and hospitals:

14 people at Harborview, 12 critical.

10 patients triaged with less serious injuries taken to other Seattle hospitals.

UW Medical Center in Seattle has five patients, all in satisfactory condition.

Northwest Hospital Seattle: Males ages 60, 24, 22, 20, 19, 17. Female age 36. All satisfactory; one more expected

Group Health says they have two patients.

Update at 1:07 p.m.: “We’ve had a terrible tragedy,” Mayor Ed Murray said during a news briefing a short time ago. “The thoughts and prayers of this city go out to everyone ­– the families and those impacted.”

Murray said the city will face significant transportation problems for the rest of the day, as Aurora Avenue will be closed between 39 th and Denny into the evening.

“The bridge will be closed for many, many hours,” Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole added.

Seattle Department of Transportation Director Scott Kubly said once firefighters are done treating patients and police finish their investigation, his crews will finish cleaning up the bridge and inspect it for damage before it can re-open.

Update at 1:04 p.m.: Forty-five students and employees from North Seattle College’s international program were traveling on the charter bus involved in the accident, said Melissa Mixon, spokeswoman for the college. Their conditions are not known at this time, she said.

Uninjured students are being brought back to campus, where the college has food and crisis counselors on hand, Mixon said.

She said she wasn’t sure where the students were traveling. International students often arrive early and go through orientation before classes start, taking trips to places like the Pike Place Market and other sites around Seattle. The term begins Monday.

North Seattle College has about 900 international students out of an enrollment of about 4,000. Mixon said most of those students are from Asian countries, although she did not have an exact breakdown of nationalities.

Update at 12:55 p.m.: Update on injuries: 12 in critical condition; 20 with minor injuries.

Update at 12:51 p.m..: Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins confirms four people are now dead in the crash. “This is a terrible tragedy,” said Mayor Ed Murray.

Update at 12:41 p.m.: North Seattle College confirms 45 students were on charter bus. The school has more than 900 international students, with classes scheduled to start Monday.

Original post: Two people have been killed and nine others are in critical condition after a Ride the Ducks tour vehicle collided with a charter bus on the Aurora Bridge, Seattle police say.

The Seattle Fire Department says about 50 people were evaluated for injuries. Twelve people suffered minor injuries.

All planes on the bridge are blocked for the investigation, which is expected to take several hours.

Harbor Medical Center spokeswoman Susan Gregg said six critically injured people have been taken to that hospital, and they expect five more.

Ten others with less-serious injuries are being taken to other hospitals, she said.

Sue Stangl, spokeswoman for the Seattle Fire Department, said Harborview would receive the “tragic, trauma-type injuries” because it is the region’s trauma center. The two fatalities were aboard the bus, she said.

A triage area was set up on the bridge where medics evaluated and treated the injured.

A witness reported that the amphibious vehicle collided with the bus, ripping out the side of the bus. Two SUVs swerved to avoid the crash and were also involved, she said.

“It’s really bad,” said the woman.

Jesse Christenson, 32, of Portland, also witnessed the crash.

“The Duck boat was 100 yards in front of me, the first car in front of me. What I saw was the Duck boat had its blinker on, trying to get in the left lane. Then all of a sudden the Duck boat turned sharper into the left. I initially thought it was a blow out. The Duck boat then hit another car with a roof rack then went head on into the into oncoming tour bus,” he said.

“The scene was pretty gruesome …. There were people in shock. There were enough people helping, I just kept calling 911 but they weren’t answering,” he said.

Christenson said he first thought the Duck vehicle had a tire blowout, but after walking toward the vehicle he said it looks like there was some sort of “vehicle malfunction.”

“It looked like the wheel on the Duck bus broke off; there was a wheel assembly in front of the Duck boat.”

The bus involved in the collision is owned by Bellair Charters and Airporter . The accident was reported around 11:15 a.m.

Officials with Ride the Ducks could not be immediately reached. The company’s Seattle headquarters is closed for the time being, according to an employee.

The Duck name is derived from the designation DUKW, derived from six-wheeled vehicles used as landing craft by the U.S. military during World War II. They were designed to deliver cargo from ships at sea directly to shore, according to the company’s website .

The amphibious vehicles have been involved in several accidents, most recently in July .

The company was involved in two other collisions in recent years, in December 2010 and June 2011, when different Duck drivers rear-ended passenger vehicles at Third Avenue and Pike Street and at Aurora Avenue North and Denny Way. No one was injured, but both Duck drivers told officers they didn’t see the cars because of the height of their own vehicles, according to the collision reports.

Brian Tracey, president of Ride the Ducks, which offers tours through Seattle, said the vehicles have “cameras and mirrors all over the Ducks, and the drivers are required to take a safety class once a month.”

Seattle Times staff reporters Sandi Doughton, Christine Clarridge, Paige Cornwell, Jennifer Sullivan, Bob Young, Jack Broom, Jessica Lee, Evan Bush, Katherine Long, Steve Miletich, JoNel Aleccia and Bethany Jean Clement contributed to this post.

• South Sound News
• North Sound News
• 7-Day Forecast
• Hour by Hour
• School Closings
• Pet Walk Forecast
• Weather 24/7 Stream
• Live Stream
• KIRO 24/7 News
• Weather 24/7
• KIRO 7 Live Studio (Opens in new window)
• The $pend $mart Stream
• Law & Crime
• Curiosity NOW
• KIRO 7 Investigates
• Seattle Seahawks
• Seattle Mariners
• Seattle Kraken
• Seattle Sounders
• Seattle Storm
• College Sports
• High School Football
• On Home Ice
• KIRO 7 Live Studio
• Discover Northwest
• Healthier Together
• Woodland Park Zoo (Opens in new window)
• Your Voices
• KIRO 7 CARES
• Washington Grown
• Back to School
• Seattle Pride 2023
• Share Your Pics!
• Steals and Deals
• Jesse Jones
• KIRO 7 Apps
• Newsletter Sign-ups (Opens in new window)
• KIRO 7 News Team
• Submit a news tip
• KIRO 7 TV Schedule
• Advertise With Us
• Closed Captioning
• KIRO 7 FCC EEO Report (Opens in new window)
• KIRO 7 Public File (Opens in new window)
• Visitor Agreement
• Privacy Policy
• Telemundo Seattle (Opens in new window)
• Jobs at KIRO 7 (Opens in new window)
• Disneyland Flyaway

Mechanical failure in 'Ride the Ducks' crash caused by maintenance, oversight issues

The National Transportation Safety Board said the cause behind a crash involving an amphibious Duck vehicle and a tour bus that killed five people was a mechanical failure that stemmed from maintenance-related problems and a lack of oversight years before the crash.

In NTSB’s assessment announced Tuesday, they reiterated that the driver was not at fault, but a mechanical failure.

>>PHOTOS: RIde the Ducks vehicle, tour bus crash in Seattle

According the board, the mechanical failure was related to a vehicle part called the Duck 6 axle housing design.

The company over Ride The Ducks Seattle, Ride The Ducks International (RTDI), was not registered with the Highway Traffic Safety Administration as a manufacturer. Therefore, the administration could not address defects.

>>RELATED: Q&A: Things to know about the deadly Seattle duck boat crash

According to the NTSB, RTDI was aware of defects on some of its vehicles and attempted to correct it with modifications to the vehicles, but the modifications were poorly executed.

In its summary, the NTSB said  Ride the Ducks of Seattle lacked protocols to ensure maintenance was completed properly and that RTDI should be registered as manufacturer so it can address defects through a federal recall program.

Safety issues included in the board’s report were:

Failure by unregistered vehicle manufacturer (RTDI)  to properly fix a safety defect under the recall process. Lack of adequate oversight of APV maintenance and failure to conduct safety repairs as recommended

Last month, the investigative review board released still frames showing the moments just before the September 2015 crash.

The pictures showed the Duck vehicle veering across the double yellow lines and then tearing into the tour bus that was taking 50 North Seattle College students on a tour of the city.

The amphibious Duck vehicle tore a 19-foot gash into the bus. Five international students were killed and dozens of others were hurt.

The NTSB had been investigating since the crash occurred and released transcripts from its work.

>>RELATED: City, state and Ride the Ducks company named in another wrongful death suit

The driver of the Duck, Eric Bishop, described losing control , feeling the steering wheel lock up, and then veering sideways.

He and the driver of the tour bus both were cleared after investigators looked at drug tests and cellphone records.

Earlier this year, Utilities and Transportation Commission approved a $380,000 settlement against Ride the Ducks for 159 acute or critical motor safety violations. Other violations were related to record-keeping.

Since the Ducks have returned to the roads, they no longer travel over the Aurora Bridge and have a second crew member to give the tour so that the driver will not have to take their attention off the road.

Statement from Pat Buchanan, the attorney representing Ride the Ducks Seattle

"Since the NTSB began its investigation, we have cooperated with and assisted in every way possible. The organization has done a remarkable job in parsing mountains of information and developing its final report.

"While the investigation by the NTSB is comprehensive as to the facts of the accident, we believe it is important to point out underlying issues that are critical to a complete understanding of the nature of the accident.

"For example, the report clearly concludes that Ride the Ducks International (RTDI) was a vehicle manufacturer, subject to very specific rules and regulations, including dramatically heightened responsibilities for warning operators of safety issues. Had the company done its duty as prescribed by the regulations, we believe this tragic accident would have never occurred.

"I think it is also noteworthy that the NTSB called into question RDTI design and manufacturing. The board called the design 'inherently flawed' and the welds it made prior to delivering the vehicle to Ride the Ducks Seattle 'poorly executed.'

"In fact, Ride the Ducks Seattle has said that the service bulletins issued by RTDI were often problematic, citing issues that had previously corrected, or offering changes that had not been designed or reviewed by engineers or the appropriate experts.

"Ride the Ducks Seattle has voluntarily taken many of the steps the NTSB discussed today, and the company welcomes working to refine and implement the additional safety enhancements discussed in the hearing.

"Ride the Ducks Seattle has gone above and beyond what the NTSB or Washington State's UTC has asked of it in working to become the safest commercial fleet in operation. Ride the Ducks Seattle has received the UTC's highest rating, and is setting the standard for the industry."

Cox Media Group

Troopers on scene of fatal motorcycle crash in Puyallup

Restaurant turns away man with guide dog

Punxsutawney Phil, wife Phyllis ‘announce’ pups’ names

All roads open after demonstration in downtown Seattle shut down Fourth Avenue and Pine Street

Capitol Hill light rail station fight leaves a man dead

Watch CBS News

Just Ducky Tours Owner Addresses Concerns After Missouri Duck Boat Tragedy

July 20, 2018 / 6:46 PM EDT / CBS Pittsburgh

Follow KDKA-TV : Facebook | Twitter

PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) -- The country-and-western tourist town of Branson, Missouri, mourned Friday for more than a dozen sightseers who were killed when a duck boat capsized and sank in stormy weather in the deadliest such accident in almost two decades.

Divers found four more bodies in Table Rock Lake, bringing the death toll to 17, including nine people from the same family and the crew member who was driving the amphibious boat. In their initial assessment, authorities blamed thunderstorms and winds that approached hurricane strength. A full investigation was underway.

"Branson is a city full of smiles," Mayor Karen Best said. "We have so much fun here. But today we are grieving and crying."

In Pittsburgh, the tragedy was on the minds of passengers at Just Ducky Tours in Station Square. The boats are a familiar site, operating in the city for 21 years, with two million served. On a busy day they transport up to 1,600 passengers.

Jordan Carter and wife, Marcia Avila, visiting from San Francisco, booked a trip on one of the vehicles as part of their trip. But they had questions after the boat capsized outside Branson.

"Why wasn't there any life jackets? Was there any? Do you have any?" Avila said.

KDKA's Pam Surano Reports:

Just Ducky Tours co-owner/operator Christopher D'Addario was on hand to answer safety questions and weather concerns.

"We are always in possession of really good information, the quickness of the river flow, the height of the rivers," he said.

D'Addario, also a captain, explained the process his fleet of eight duck boats operates under in the port of Pittsburgh. Working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps. of Engineers, they constantly maintain communication about weather.

"That's a determining factor daily for us to monitor what's happening now on our waterways," he said.

Even though the fleet rides the three rivers, and not the deeper waters of a lake, the duck boats are always 250 feet from the banks, and a captain and first mate are both always on board.

They say safety vests do not need to be worn, but they're on board.

"And those vests are out and visible. One for every child and adult on board," D'Addario said.

Thirty adult, 30 child and even two infant vests are aboard every vessel.

Pittsburgh's fleet was among the first in the U.S., and are among the original built military Army Ducks used during World War I and World War II. It remains to be seen if the newer generation of duck boats are similar in name only, and not in might and seaworthiness.

Back in Missouri, the risk of heavy weather was apparent hours before the boat left shore.

The weather service station in Springfield, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Branson, issued a severe thunderstorm watch for its immediate area Thursday, saying conditions were ripe for winds of 70 mph. It followed up at 6:32 p.m. with a severe thunderstorm warning for three counties that included Branson and the lake. The warning mentioned both locations. The boat went down about 40 minutes later, shortly after 7 p.m.

"When we issue a warning, it means take action," meteorologist Kelsey Angle said.

Suzanne Smagala with Ripley Entertainment, which owns Ride the Ducks in Branson, said the company was assisting authorities. She said this was the company's only accident in more than 40 years of operation.

The boat was carrying 29 passengers and two crew members on a pleasure cruise, and everyone aboard had been accounted for by midday Friday. Seven of the 14 survivors were hurt when the vessel went down. At least two were hospitalized in critical condition. The captain survived, authorities said.

Authorities had not publicly identified the dead but said they included a 1-year-old child.

"Duck boats are death traps," said Andrew Duffy, an attorney whose Philadelphia law firm handled litigation related to two fatal duck boat accidents there. "They're not fit for water or land because they are half car and half boat. In water, they take on water easily, they sink easily. Once they sink, there is a canopy fixed to the top that, unlike other boats in the world, pulls the passengers with it towards the bottom of the lake."

Divers quickly located the vessel, which came to rest on its wheels on the lakebed, and authorities planned to recover it later Friday.

The boat sank in 40 feet (12 meters) of water and then rolled on its wheels into a deeper area with 80 feet (25 meters) of water. Investigators had no information about whether passengers were wearing life jackets or whether they were stowed onboard, the sheriff said.

The Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board planned to help with the investigation.

Branson, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City, is a country-themed tourist mecca built on a reputation for patriotic and religious-themed shows in numerous theaters.

Table Rock Lake, east of Branson, was created in the late 1950s when the Corps of Army Engineers built a dam across the White River to provide hydroelectric power to the Ozarks.

(TM and © Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Featured Local Savings

More from cbs news.

Box truck driver fell asleep at the wheel before killing 3 Pennsylvania construction workers

Northern lights visible in Pittsburgh area

Tornado damages Washington County church; congregants suffer 'minor' injuries

Two Pittsburgh bridges will be closed for overnight work this week