Death toll in duck boat accident reaches 17

Nine victims in Branson tragedy were members of the same family

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Seventeen people have been confirmed dead after a duck boat capsized in stormy weather near Branson on Thursday evening.

All missing people appeared to have been accounted for. Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader confirmed the total number of fatalities just after 10:15 a.m. Friday.

A spokesman with the Missouri Highway Patrol said the age range of those who died was from 1 to 70 years old, according to the AP.

Seven people were taken to hospitals, two with critical injuries.

Speaking at a news conference Friday morning, Rader said the first emergency call for the boat was at 7:09 p.m. It sank in 80 feet of water and was upright when found by divers. The boat has not yet been removed from water.

Nine members of a family of 11 died in the accident.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson met with the two survivors, a 13-year-old boy and his aunt, at the Cox Medical Center in Branson, according to the governor’s spokesman Steele Shippy.

“What happened here last night was a heartbreaking tragedy, and we must all work together to support the victims and their families,” Parson said. “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.”

Parson also spoke at the news conference Friday morning. He asked for patience while the investigation seeks answers about what happened.

There reportedly were 31 people on the Ride The Ducks boat, a vehicle that goes from land to water and is a popular attraction for tourists at Table Rock Lake. Some people were able to swim to shore, according to media reports.

On Friday, dozens passed through the parking lot outside the Ride The Ducks facility, some laying flowers on the windshields of vehicles that remained in the lot overnight.

Johnathon Brumfield dropped red roses off in a vase on his way to work.

Chris Lindsey, vacationing in the area from St. Louis, broke down as he sat in his pickup truck, wiping his eyes with a tissue.

“I just had to come up and say a prayer for the loss of everything,” he said. “For something catastrophic like this to happen, it’s terrible.”

Jim Pattison Jr., the president of Ripley Entertainment, spoke about the incident to CBS news.

“Never had an incident like this or anything close to it,” said Pattison, who traveled to Branson.

Ride The Ducks Branson, which offers 70-minute guided tours on the lake, appears to have taken down its web site and stopped ticket sales on Friday morning.

In the statement, Ride The Ducks said it would do anything possible to assist the families who were involved in the accident and that it would work with authorities in search and rescue efforts.

“Safety of our guests and employees is our No. 1 priority,” it said.

By later Friday, the company’s web site was back but with only the same picture of the black ribbon on gray background and the statement issued earlier.

The company’s popular tourist attraction had 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews.

On the Ride The Ducks Branson Facebook post, which had 507 comments and 505 shares on Friday morning, people responded with words of support.

Many commenters felt that Ride The Ducks appropriately handled the situation, calling it a “beloved Branson attraction.”

“You are known for being a entertainment ride of integrity and your presence and words here show that you truly care,” one person wrote on the post.

“This company doesn’t seem like the type who would knowingly risk lives. Having been on the duck myself less than a year ago it is a very family oriented and heartfelt tour,” another said.

Others, however, expressed anger at the company for running the tour in the storm.

“Everyone of those families should sue you for even going in the water on a storm watch. Are you idiots. Why would you even chance this with a storm warning,” one person said on the post.

Around the country, other duck boat tour companies posted statements after the Branson accident that reiterated their own safety measures.

“We continuously monitor the weather conditions from our three locations,” Boston Duck Tours said in a statement. The company said it uses U.S. Coast Guard recommendations and does not go out onto the water if there is lightning or winds over 25 knots.

The sheriff said the boats had life jackets on board.

Under Missouri boating laws, all vessels 16 feet in length or longer are required to carry one life jacket for each person on board. Adults are not required to wear the life jackets, but children under 7 must “unless the child is confined in a totally enclosed area of the vessel, such as the cabin area of a houseboat.”

The life jackets must also be readily accessible — not stored in closed or locked compartments.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s handbook of Missouri boating laws and responsibilities also has instructions for boat operators navigating severe weather.

Operators are directed to close all hatches, windows and doors, and have all passengers put on life jackets.