Survivor of Mo. duck boat suing Orlando-based Ripley

Orlando-based Ripley Entertainment, the owner of the Ride the Ducks company whose boat sank in Branson, Mo., is being sued by the mother of one of the survivors.

Seventeen people died July 19 when a duck boat capsized during a storm on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Mo. Nine of the 17 were from the same Indiana family.

Amanda “Mandi” Keller sued on behalf of her daughter, Gillian Collins, who was on the boat with her father. Gillian escaped from the boat after the captain released the canopy from the top of the vessel, her mother told the Kansas City Star.

She was not physically injured but suffered “intense emotional trauma,” according to her lawyer.

In the lawsuit, Keller’s lawyers claim the boat “was plainly unseaworthy.”

“[The boat] was recklessly taken out on the water despite knowing about impending rough weather that made the voyage patently unsafe,” wrote attorney Cory Itkin of Houston-based Arnold & Itkin. “Ripley Entertainment was further aware through prior inspections that the duck boat was not fit for voyages in such weather. These problems were simply ignored, resulting in tragedy.”

Itkin did not specify how much money his client is seeking in damages in the complaint. He asked for the amount to be determined by a jury.

A spokeswoman for Ripley Entertainment Inc. declined to comment about the allegations in the lawsuit.

“We remain deeply saddened by the tragic accident that occurred in Branson and we are supportive of the affected families,” company spokeswoman Suzanne Smagala wrote in an email. “The investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board is still underway and no conclusions have been reached.”

Ripley Entertainment Inc. runs numerous attractions around the globe, including the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Orlando “odditorium” on International Drive.