Sheriff: At least 8 dead in Missouri boat accident

BRANSON, Mo. — A boat carrying tourists on a Missouri lake capsized and sank Thursday night, killing at least eight people, the local sheriff said.

Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said seven people were hospitalized and several others remain missing after a Ride the Ducks boat sank on Table Rock Lake in Branson. The exact number of those missing was not immediately available.

A spokeswoman for the Cox Medical Center Branson said four adults and three children arrived at the hospital shortly after the incident. Two adults are in critical condition and the others were treated for minor injuries, Brandei Clifton said.

Rader said the stormy weather was believed to be the cause of the capsizing.

Steve Lindenberg, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said the agency issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Branson area Thursday evening. Lindenberg said winds reached speeds of more than 60 mph.

Rader said an off- duty sheriff ’s deputy working security for the boat company helped rescue people after the accident.