Negligence alleged in duck boat deaths

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Coast Guard has found probable cause that the sinking of a tourist boat on a Missouri lake last month that killed 17 people “resulted from the misconduct, negligence, or inattention to the duties” by the captain of the boat, according to a court motion filed Wednesday by federal prosecutors.

The U.S. attorney’s office also said in the motion that the captain of a second duck boat that made it safely to shore when the storm kicked up July 19 acted in a “grossly negligent manner.” The filing doesn’t elaborate on those findings.

In the motion, prosecutors asked Kansas City federal court to issue an order that would delay attorneys involved in lawsuits related to the sinking from sharing information and evidence they gathered until the criminal investigation is complete.

Three federal lawsuits have been filed in the Western District of Missouri against the duck boat operators, including Ripley Entertainment, which owned the Ride the Ducks attraction at Table Rock Lake near Branson.

Prosecutors say their investigation involves people identified in the lawsuits and others, including Capt. Kenneth McKee, who was piloting the boat that sank, and Capt. Barry King, who was piloting the boat that made it safely to shore.

Ride the Ducks of Branson offers tours that first drive on land before entering the lake for a 20-minute ride. Video and audio recovered after the boat sank showed the lake was calm when the boats went into the water, but severe winds up to 70 mph began blowing suddenly and one boat, carrying 31 people, sank within minutes.

In the lawsuits, attorneys contend the duck boat operators ignored weather warnings and had long ignored consultants who said the boats’ design was dangerous.