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  Fact Checker
Posts: 16572
   
Location: Displaced Iowegian | This is just so hard to comprehend .... all day yesterday, we (in NE AR) were getting severe weather alerts for that area (Springfield/Branson) and they take the Duck Boats out on the lake?????
9 members of the same family perished !!!
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/20/us/duck-boat-branson-accident.html
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | That's exactly what I said. Alerts all afternoon. The president of the company came out immediately with a damage control statement: "It was a fast-moving storm..that basically came out of nowhere,"
Um...no...I watched that storm line march down on radar all afternoon. This was no pop up. One couple decided the weather was turning bad and they went and got refunds on their tickets instead of getting on the boat. And there are videos that are tough to watch showing white caps on the lake as they went in...and one of the two boats later floundering trying to get back to the dock.
It's so horribly sad...even if they had on life vests...that wouldn't have been much help as they likely got trapped by the canopy as it sank. And it looks like the side window/covers were rolled down further blocking any means of exit. It's not deep that close to shore and the water is warm...I don't think they knew what danger they were really in...if they did they would have bailed off long before it sank. But once it took on water...there wasn't much time. How scared those children must have been. Families just having fun on vacation...so very sad. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I saw that and how horrible for this to happen, they said a bad storm blew threw and capsize this boat, they found the last person not to long ago and the death toll was rise to 17 people, {adults and children}  |
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Fact Checker
Posts: 16572
Location: Displaced Iowegian |
That's the point....this strong line of storms was brewing and all over the news most of the day ..... yes, it probably did move in pretty fast but they had been tracking it most of the day ...... |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | NJJ - 2018-07-20 4:10 PM That's the point....this strong line of storms was brewing and all over the news most of the day ..... yes, it probably did move in pretty fast but they had been tracking it most of the day ......
Wow,, why in the he$$ would anyone send these boats out knowing that the weather could/can change in a matter of hours. was it because of the ole mighty dollar? So sad that these familys lost loved ones over something that was so sense less.. |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | NJJ - 2018-07-20 4:10 PM
That's the point....this strong line of storms was brewing and all over the news most of the day ..... yes, it probably did move in pretty fast but they had been tracking it most of the day ......
That's what I kept telling Sean---why in the world would you send those boats out in that weather??? We rode the ducks years ago in Branson, and at that time they showed you where the life vests were located. . . but they didn't hand them out, they were just in compartments at the back. I don't know what the policies are now about them. All I could think about was basically what TG said--how scared those kids must have been. Breaks my heart. God bless their souls and their families
Edited by Chandler's Mom 2018-07-20 6:54 PM
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | I believe this company has had a fairly dismal safety record over the years. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | SC Wrangler - 2018-07-20 7:14 PM I believe this company has had a fairly dismal safety record over the years. I dont know if this is the same company but back in 1999 maybe but there was another 13 people killed by drowning I think I read that it was something to do with the canopy when a duck boat capsized..
Edit to add" I looked it up and it was a different accident that happen in Arkansas with a Duck Boat that killed 13..
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2018-07-20 7:36 PM
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Southtxponygirl - 2018-07-20 7:30 PM
SC Wrangler - 2018-07-20 7:14 PM I believe this company has had a fairly dismal safety record over the years. I dont know if this is the same company but back in 1999 maybe but there was another 13 people killed by drowning I think I read that it was something to do with the canopy when a duck boat capsized..
Edit to add" I looked it up and it was a different accident that happen in Arkansas with a Duck Boat that killed 13..
Hot Springs I think? |
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Expert
Posts: 1409
Location: Oklahoma | It is so horrible! But if storms was all over and warnings the people on the boat shouldn't have gotten on either. We have to watch after our own selves! |
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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25351
Location: Bastrop, Texas | I can’t even begin to imagine. It’s hard enough losing one family member to something this senseless, but to lose 9 is impossible to comprehend. 2 survivors from that family. How does anyone maintain sanity under those circumstances rcumstances?
That company is in big trouble. I assume they were insured, but I can’t imagine they’ll survive this. What gets me was how the people were videoing those boats while eating dinner on the riverboat. |
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 Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | Bear - 2018-07-21 9:00 AM I can’t even begin to imagine. It’s hard enough losing one family member to something this senseless, but to lose 9 is impossible to comprehend. 2 survivors from that family. How does anyone maintain sanity under those circumstances rcumstances? That company is in big trouble. I assume they were insured, but I can’t imagine they’ll survive this. What gets me was how the people were videoing those boats while eating dinner on the riverboat.
The people video taping from the belle had no idea the boat was going to actually sink. That video cuts out and ends when they realized it was going to sink. There wasn't anything else the average person could have done. Literally. Jumping in to help would have been suicide in those conditions. There were some personal watercraft in the area who attempted to approach but quickly realized even they weren't going to be able to help because of the weather.
Ripleys Believe it or Not owns the Duck boats. |
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Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | Turnburnsis - 2018-07-21 1:26 AM It is so horrible! But if storms was all over and warnings the people on the boat shouldn't have gotten on either. We have to watch after our own selves!
Most of the folks that ride those boats are tourists. Which means they may have no understanding of how fast storms approach and such. And they probably put their trust in the company, believing it was safe if they were operating. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Turnburnsis - 2018-07-21 12:26 AM It is so horrible! But if storms was all over and warnings the people on the boat shouldn't have gotten on either. We have to watch after our own selves!
Since these were tourists and I bet my bottom dollar that they were city slickers they just didnt know any better about boarding the boat in these kind of conditions, all they knew was if the company was doing tours and loading these boats then it was going to be a safe ride, they just didnt know any better I think. |
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Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | Southtxponygirl - 2018-07-21 7:47 PM Turnburnsis - 2018-07-21 12:26 AM It is so horrible! But if storms was all over and warnings the people on the boat shouldn't have gotten on either. We have to watch after our own selves! Since these were tourists and I bet my bottom dollar that they were city slickers they just didnt know any better about boarding the boat in these kind of conditions, all they knew was if the company was doing tours and loading these boats then it was going to be a safe ride, they just didnt know any better I think.
This is true....and many people don't watch the weather nearly as closely as those of us involved in horses, farming, outdoor activities etc.
To many of us, keeping an eye on the weather is second nature. But there are so many people who rely on others or just don't have a reason to study and track the weather like we do. No different than there's a good chance that most of them may not have even known how to swim. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | missroselee - 2018-07-21 6:58 PM Southtxponygirl - 2018-07-21 7:47 PM Turnburnsis - 2018-07-21 12:26 AM It is so horrible! But if storms was all over and warnings the people on the boat shouldn't have gotten on either. We have to watch after our own selves! Since these were tourists and I bet my bottom dollar that they were city slickers they just didnt know any better about boarding the boat in these kind of conditions, all they knew was if the company was doing tours and loading these boats then it was going to be a safe ride, they just didnt know any better I think.
To many of us, keeping an eye on the weather is second nature. But there are so many people who rely on others or just don't have a reason to study and track the weather like we do. No different than there's a good chance that most of them may not have even known how to swim.
I watch the weather like a Hawk, and like what you just said they probably dont even watch the weather they have no reason to. All the people that live in town/city dont have a clue how bad weather can turn in a matter of an hour they just go their merry way and look up to the ones that run a business like the duck boats and think they are in safe hands because this is what they do for a living so its all safe in their eyes. I feel so bad for these poor people thinking they were going on a fun and safe tour.. |
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 Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
Location: Broxton, Ga | missroselee - 2018-07-20 7:34 PM
Turnburnsis - 2018-07-21 1:26 AM It is so horrible! But if storms was all over and warnings the people on the boat shouldn't have gotten on either. We have to watch after our own selves!
Most of the folks that ride those boats are tourists. Which means they may have no understanding of how fast storms approach and such. And they probably put their trust in the company, believing it was safe if they were operating.
Nor do they know how to swim.....which in those conditions still would be a struggle even for a good swimmer......
Heartbreaking |
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 Expert
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Location: Gainesville, TX | I have been to Branson once. We went there in high school with the choir and sang in front of the Branson Belle. It was a lot of fun. While we were there we rode the ducks. I remember it being a neat experience. Like most people there I remember just trusting them that they knew what they were doing. Sad sad deal that this happened like this. |
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 Expert
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Location: The best kept secret in TX | All I could think of when I heard this story was: what was going through those Mother's heads when they realized they were in danger? I know what would have been going through mine and I'm sure everyone here would have the same thoughts... I can't imagine being so helpless while my children were on board. The fear... My heart.... I'm tearing up thinking about them and their children... My heart hurts to think about what their last thoughts were trying to save their babies... My heart breaks.... I just can't imagine.... Made me hug my Little One so tight... |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| Hubby and I talked about this and just wondered if we would have the where with all to KNOW to bail - a lot would be going through your head and I'm sure you would be clinging to the hope that the boat wouldn't capsize. I can't IMAGINE how horrifying that situation would be. |
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 Roan Wonder
Location: SW MO | The weather service issued a severe storm warning 30 minutes before the boat sank. There are pictures everywhere of the storm coming in you could see it a head of time & it looked horrible. The way those boats are made he could have ran it ground anywhere. ( You know would have, should have, could have, it's easy for us who weren't there to say what they should have done ) but when they saw that storm coming he should have headed for the closest shore not tried to make it back to port. There was a driver & a captain aboard so there were 2 people in charge. |
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 Expert
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Location: Missouri | IRunOnFaith - 2018-07-23 10:40 AM
All I could think of when I heard this story was: what was going through those Mother's heads when they realized they were in danger? I know what would have been going through mine and I'm sure everyone here would have the same thoughts... I can't imagine being so helpless while my children were on board. The fear... My heart.... I'm tearing up thinking about them and their children... My heart hurts to think about what their last thoughts were trying to save their babies... My heart breaks.... I just can't imagine.... Made me hug my Little One so tight...
This was my thought. Being with my children on that boat. It makes me absolutely sick. Trying to comfort them when they're scared to death not knowing what is going on.
The problem with bailing on these boats, I think, is the screen on the sides would make it extremely difficult. You'd have to make it to a door, right? And moving around a boat in those conditions would be impossible. Not to mention grabbing a life vest if you didn't have one on already. :( |
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 The best bad guy on the internet
Posts: 3519
Location: Arizona | Since everyone knew it was storming and the waters were rough, why didn't they start handing out life vest and making everyone put them one. And start getting ready to jump ship...once the boat took on water i would have jumped off for sure!! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
| I don't know that I would have had the where with all to jump ship before it went down, but you better believe they would have had to physically stop me from putting on a life jacket. A survivor has stated that they were told to stay in their seats and not get up to get life vests. I would have had one on and would have already known how to get the sides down or the back door open. With the sides up, there are only 2 ways out. Those boats should NEVER be out in rough water. The exhaust comes out the front of the boat. Every time it went into a wave - water was going in the exhaust. It was only a matter of time before they lost power.
It was a series of very horrible circumstances and bad decisions. I've read that the boats were delayed in getting on the lake because one of them had propeller problems when they tried to launch. Both ducks waited for another boat to arrive and the passengers transferred. This took between 20-30 minutes. The boat (no mechanical problems) that waited on the other to transfer passengers was the one to go down. Had they been on schedule, they would have been off the lake or at least a lot closer to the bank when the storm blew in. WHY was someone in the office not monitoring the weather? While multiple reports from witnesses/survivors have said that the lake was calm when the boats entered, the radar showed it was bearing down on them.
It's horrible and very sad. I really wish I'd never watched the video. You can only imagine the terror. |
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Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | Right now the main fact is that you really cannot question why this or why that because none of use were there. But here is some insight.....
Facts: Weather WARNING to include a warning of wind gusts up to 70MPH went out at 6:32. Storm watch/warnings had started two days earlier. At the same time the warning went out, a small boat/craft advisory went out on Table Rock as well. That advisory is pretty much an "advice" for all small crafts and small boats to get off the water. They cannot force them but can warn them. The duck boat that sank......typically they do the land tour first, water tour last. That day a person came on board and told them to do the water tour first because of the impending storm. The duck boat entered the water at 6:55, 23 minutes AFTER the warning went out. It sank less then twenty minutes later......
The bilge pump alarm for dangerous amount of water in the boat went off twice in ten minutes. No idea what exactly that meant, whether it was a malfunction with the pump or just a normal warning for high water in the boat. All the recordings end prior to sinking.
There were 29 tourists on the boat. Many of them were heavy set. I do NOT mean that in a degrading way. I bring that up because it could be a factor in several things. If the captain didn't have the weight evenly distributed, it could cause a capsize in high swells. And the number of passengers and weight of them could factor in his decision to have them remain seated. The life vests were strapped to the roof. So ppl would have to get up and stand on the seats to get the vests. Just that activity could cause potential to capsize the boat or trample ppl if they panic.
I have seen dozens of people blame the passengers for not putting the PFDs on. That makes me sick. None of us were there. We don't know what it was like. And no matter what, the lack of putting on PFDs did not mean anybody deserved to lose their life.
My personal opinion, Ripleys and the operators of the business should be criminally charged. Period. However, I also would not be suprised if there was a mechanical malfunction with the boat, possibly with the bilge pump. I do not think the boat sank slowly. I am only guessing that there is a chance the passengers didn't even know it was going to sink until it was too late. The boat capsized first. That can happen so fast that many times people don't have time to react.
I spend ALOT of time on the water. ALOT. Both ocean, river, lake, etc. This particular even has just been a hard pill for me to fathom because it just should not have happened. |
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Fact Checker
Posts: 16572
Location: Displaced Iowegian | missroselee - 2018-07-29 11:12 AM Right now the main fact is that you really cannot question why this or why that because none of use were there. But here is some insight.....
Facts: Weather WARNING to include a warning of wind gusts up to 70MPH went out at 6:32. Storm watch/warnings had started two days earlier. At the same time the warning went out, a small boat/craft advisory went out on Table Rock as well. That advisory is pretty much an "advice" for all small crafts and small boats to get off the water. They cannot force them but can warn them. The duck boat that sank......typically they do the land tour first, water tour last. That day a person came on board and told them to do the water tour first because of the impending storm. The duck boat entered the water at 6:55, 23 minutes AFTER the warning went out. It sank less then twenty minutes later......
The bilge pump alarm for dangerous amount of water in the boat went off twice in ten minutes. No idea what exactly that meant, whether it was a malfunction with the pump or just a normal warning for high water in the boat. All the recordings end prior to sinking.
There were 29 tourists on the boat. Many of them were heavy set. I do NOT mean that in a degrading way. I bring that up because it could be a factor in several things. If the captain didn't have the weight evenly distributed, it could cause a capsize in high swells. And the number of passengers and weight of them could factor in his decision to have them remain seated. The life vests were strapped to the roof. So ppl would have to get up and stand on the seats to get the vests. Just that activity could cause potential to capsize the boat or trample ppl if they panic.
I have seen dozens of people blame the passengers for not putting the PFDs on. That makes me sick. None of us were there. We don't know what it was like. And no matter what, the lack of putting on PFDs did not mean anybody deserved to lose their life.
My personal opinion, Ripleys and the operators of the business should be criminally charged. Period. However, I also would not be suprised if there was a mechanical malfunction with the boat, possibly with the bilge pump. I do not think the boat sank slowly. I am only guessing that there is a chance the passengers didn't even know it was going to sink until it was too late. The boat capsized first. That can happen so fast that many times people don't have time to react.
I spend ALOT of time on the water. ALOT. Both ocean, river, lake, etc. This particular even has just been a hard pill for me to fathom because it just should not have happened.
I agree ..... there was absolutely NO reason for that boat to be out on the lake. I live in NE Arkansas and on our FIVE and SIX news, that storm was building BIG on radar and moving FAST south toward Springfield/Branson .....anyone with a brain at that business should have kept the boats OFF of the water or, at the very least, had the passengers put on the life jackets ....but money and greed always wins out! |
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Fact Checker
Posts: 16572
Location: Displaced Iowegian | $100M lawsuit filed on behalf of the family members (9) from Indiana. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | NJJ - 2018-07-30 6:46 PM $100M lawsuit filed on behalf of the family members (9) from Indiana.
And I hope that they get every penny of that 100M lawsuit.. |
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What a tragedy - Duck Boat Accident in Branson