Missouri

TexasTowelie

(116,773 posts) Fri Jul 20, 2018, 11:44 AM Jul 2018

Branson duck boat tragedy: 17 dead, all passengers accounted for

BRANSON — Seventeen people, including at least one child, are dead after an amphibious duck boat capsized Thursday evening on Table Rock Lake.

At least seven other passengers were injured, including two in serious condition. On Friday morning, the Missouri State Highway Patrol found the last four bodies that had been unaccounted for, according to Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader.

Rader reported 11 were dead just after 11 p.m. Thursday. Two more bodies were discovered later in the night before the final search on Friday. The Ride the Ducks tourist boat sank near the Showboat Branson Belle with a reported 31 people on board.

During a press conference Friday morning, Rader said it was too early to know the cause of the incident. He said there were life jackets in the boat but it's not clear how safety equipment was used.

Read more: https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2018/07/20/branson-duck-boat-tragedy-13-now-confirmed-dead-others-injured/805818002/

4 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Branson duck boat tragedy: 17 dead, all passengers accounted for (Original Post) TexasTowelie Jul 2018 OP

It might be because these are death traps exboyfil Jul 2018 #1

A lot of good sea worthy boats. Soxfan58 Jul 2018 #2

Wow, this is at least the third accident with fatalities I know of. LisaM Jul 2018 #3

I was on the "Branson Belle" stern wheeler a few years ago SonofDonald Jul 2018 #4

exboyfil

(17,998 posts)

1. It might be because these are death traps

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Fri Jul 20, 2018, 11:47 AM

Jul 2018

Note how they are enclosed on the sides and the roof. I am surprised they took it out on such a large body of water. I don't think the Wisconsin Dells ones do that.

Soxfan58

(3,479 posts)

2. A lot of good sea worthy boats.

Reply to exboyfil (Reply #1)

Fri Jul 20, 2018, 11:58 AM

Jul 2018

Would not have attempted those conditions. Trying to make a extra buck? They are death traps and there needs to be a investigation.

LisaM

(28,600 posts)

3. Wow, this is at least the third accident with fatalities I know of.

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Fri Jul 20, 2018, 12:05 PM

Jul 2018

There was one in Philadelphia, one in Seattle (on a road that it was too big for) and now this. This last one has by far the most fatalities, though.

SonofDonald

(2,050 posts)

4. I was on the "Branson Belle" stern wheeler a few years ago

Reply to TexasTowelie (Original post)

Fri Jul 20, 2018, 01:01 PM

Jul 2018

And remember those duck boats on the lake.

Part of the problem I think is that it's a big lake without a lot of easy access to certain areas, if they sank in one of those areas it would be awhile before they would be able to respond to an emergency.

And much worse in the dark, how tragic.

Reply to this discussion