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BRANSON, Mo. — One year after 17 people died when a boat sank on a Missouri lake near the tourist town of Branson, the question of whether the boats should return to the lake remains a topic of debate.
Former Branson Mayor Karen Best had to inform the 17 victims’ families they had died when the boat sank during a storm July 19, 2018, on Table Rock Lake. She said she will never forget the cries and screaming of the families and survivors.
“I don’t know that they need to come back to this community,” Best said about the duck boats.
The amphibious vehicles, which operate on land and water, were a popular attraction in Branson for nearly 50 years. They are not operating this year, and Ripley Entertainment, which owns Branson Ride The Ducks, has not said whether they will return, The Kansas City Star reported.
Current Mayor Edd Akers said it’s possible the boats could return to Branson if they are altered and have improved safety features.
“They’re still operating in other parts of the country,” he said. “They are still successful in different areas.”
Akers acknowledged that the boats are still a sensitive topic.
“I just want you to know that people are still hurting here,” he said.
Thirty-one people were aboard when the duck boat entered the lake. A storm came up suddenly and the waves swamped the boat before it could make it back to shore. Fourteen people survived.
Interviews with tourists visiting Branson recently found they were also split on whether the boats should return. Some said the attraction should open again because the sinking was a freak accident caused by a storm that came up to quickly or bad judgment by the operators. Others said they would never consider riding the boats, even if they were altered or improved.
Court filings by Ripley Entertainment this month show that 19 of 33 others who have filed claims against the company have settled. Three employees, including the captain, Kenneth Scott McKee, 52, face criminal prosecution. The NYPD shut down a pop up sneaker shop in Nolita on Thursday.
Athletic-shoe aficionados allegedly began lining up on the Bowery between Spring and Prince Sts. on Wednesday for a chance to get 99¢ sneaks.
The shoes are limited-edition Adidas made to look like Arizona Iced
Tea bottles (photo).
When the crowd got too large, the NYPD came in and broke it up.
“The entire event was one big mess. The shop gave out wristbands yesterday,” Joe Rivera, 15, from Borough Park, Brooklyn, said. “So there were two lines at the start. One with wristbands and one without the wristbands. The main issue was the lack of planning. They had barricades and lines for the people with wristbands. But nothing for the rest.
“It was chaos, and the Arizona staff just focused on the people in front of the line,” Rivera said. “So they had no idea of what was going on the second or third block.”
While waiting for the shop to open, two teenagers were assaulted, cops said.
A 17-year-old girl was punched in the face and hit with a bottle during an argument, and a 15-year-old was punched. Both were taken to New YorkPresbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital.
Two young men were arrested and charges are pending.
“Something was bound to happen,” Rivera said. “You have people mushed together for hours in the hot, humid, raining New York weather, with sparse monitoring of the line. Surprised that a fight didn’t break out after people were told to leave.”
Rivera took issue with the way Arizona handled the crush of people.
“Due to overwhelming demand and safety concerns, the NYPD shutdown our pop-up. We sincerely apologize to all our fans that waited in line. We are actively working to remedy the situation,” Arizona Tea said.
“They should say we underestimated the amount of people that would attend and we are trying to find a solution,” Rivera said.