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Just Ducky Tours Owner Addresses Concerns After Missouri Duck Boat Tragedy

July 20, 2018 / 6:46 PM EDT / CBS Pittsburgh

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) -- The country-and-western tourist town of Branson, Missouri, mourned Friday for more than a dozen sightseers who were killed when a duck boat capsized and sank in stormy weather in the deadliest such accident in almost two decades.

Divers found four more bodies in Table Rock Lake, bringing the death toll to 17, including nine people from the same family and the crew member who was driving the amphibious boat. In their initial assessment, authorities blamed thunderstorms and winds that approached hurricane strength. A full investigation was underway.

"Branson is a city full of smiles," Mayor Karen Best said. "We have so much fun here. But today we are grieving and crying."

In Pittsburgh, the tragedy was on the minds of passengers at Just Ducky Tours in Station Square. The boats are a familiar site, operating in the city for 21 years, with two million served. On a busy day they transport up to 1,600 passengers.

Jordan Carter and wife, Marcia Avila, visiting from San Francisco, booked a trip on one of the vehicles as part of their trip. But they had questions after the boat capsized outside Branson.

"Why wasn't there any life jackets? Was there any? Do you have any?" Avila said.

KDKA's Pam Surano Reports:

Just Ducky Tours co-owner/operator Christopher D'Addario was on hand to answer safety questions and weather concerns.

"We are always in possession of really good information, the quickness of the river flow, the height of the rivers," he said.

D'Addario, also a captain, explained the process his fleet of eight duck boats operates under in the port of Pittsburgh. Working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps. of Engineers, they constantly maintain communication about weather.

"That's a determining factor daily for us to monitor what's happening now on our waterways," he said.

Even though the fleet rides the three rivers, and not the deeper waters of a lake, the duck boats are always 250 feet from the banks, and a captain and first mate are both always on board.

They say safety vests do not need to be worn, but they're on board.

"And those vests are out and visible. One for every child and adult on board," D'Addario said.

Thirty adult, 30 child and even two infant vests are aboard every vessel.

Pittsburgh's fleet was among the first in the U.S., and are among the original built military Army Ducks used during World War I and World War II. It remains to be seen if the newer generation of duck boats are similar in name only, and not in might and seaworthiness.

just-ducky-tours

Back in Missouri, the risk of heavy weather was apparent hours before the boat left shore.

The weather service station in Springfield, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Branson, issued a severe thunderstorm watch for its immediate area Thursday, saying conditions were ripe for winds of 70 mph. It followed up at 6:32 p.m. with a severe thunderstorm warning for three counties that included Branson and the lake. The warning mentioned both locations. The boat went down about 40 minutes later, shortly after 7 p.m.

"When we issue a warning, it means take action," meteorologist Kelsey Angle said.

Suzanne Smagala with Ripley Entertainment, which owns Ride the Ducks in Branson, said the company was assisting authorities. She said this was the company's only accident in more than 40 years of operation.

The boat was carrying 29 passengers and two crew members on a pleasure cruise, and everyone aboard had been accounted for by midday Friday. Seven of the 14 survivors were hurt when the vessel went down. At least two were hospitalized in critical condition. The captain survived, authorities said.

Authorities had not publicly identified the dead but said they included a 1-year-old child.

"Duck boats are death traps," said Andrew Duffy, an attorney whose Philadelphia law firm handled litigation related to two fatal duck boat accidents there. "They're not fit for water or land because they are half car and half boat. In water, they take on water easily, they sink easily. Once they sink, there is a canopy fixed to the top that, unlike other boats in the world, pulls the passengers with it towards the bottom of the lake."

Divers quickly located the vessel, which came to rest on its wheels on the lakebed, and authorities planned to recover it later Friday.

The boat sank in 40 feet (12 meters) of water and then rolled on its wheels into a deeper area with 80 feet (25 meters) of water. Investigators had no information about whether passengers were wearing life jackets or whether they were stowed onboard, the sheriff said.

The Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board planned to help with the investigation.

Branson, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City, is a country-themed tourist mecca built on a reputation for patriotic and religious-themed shows in numerous theaters.

Table Rock Lake, east of Branson, was created in the late 1950s when the Corps of Army Engineers built a dam across the White River to provide hydroelectric power to the Ozarks.

(TM and © Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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Pittsburgh's just ducky tours ends season early, cancels all duck boat rides for rest of 2018.

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Just Ducky Tours has canceled the rest of its 2018 season, saying that business in Pittsburgh has fallen off after a fatal duck boat accident in Missouri and a train derailment near Station Square earlier this summer. (Scroll down for full statement)

"Unfortunately for our operation, we're defending our business as if we were the cause of that accident and that's simply not the case," said Michael Cohen, co-owner of Just Ducky Tours.

He added, "Google 'Just Ducky Tours, Pittsburgh accidents' and you will find nothing. There is nothing there, there is no data there, because we've always put people over profits."

The season was originally set to continue through Nov. 30, but Just Ducky Tours said it has ended early and they will "re-tool" for the 2019 season.

Based at Station Square, Just Ducky Tours takes customers on narrated rides around the city in amphibious vehicles. Each tour begins on land and eventually enters the river.

"We're good at what we do. We've been an ambassador to the city, and it will be sad if it goes away, but I know I'll hold my head high," said Cohen. "I got 2 million passengers, along with my business partner Chris (D'Addario), that we carried safely, and no one can take that away from me."

An automated message on the company's main phone line says that customers who have already scheduled a ride with Just Ducky Tours will be contacted.

Station Square itself is set to undergo an overhaul soon. Several stores have moved out of the Freight House ahead of the massive renovation project that will also bring a UPMC employee training center to the property.

Stay updated with breaking news: Download the WTAE mobile app

Below is the full text of a statement released by Just Ducky Tours on Wednesday.

Just Ducky Tours, Pittsburgh's only land and water tour, has decided to suspend operations for the remainder of the 2018 season as they re-tool for the 2019 season. Following the negative national press around the Branson, MO, duck boat accident in July and last month's train derailment in Station Square, Just Ducky Tours has seen a decline in business.

Just Ducky Tours has an impeccable 20-year safety record, unlike the 'Ride the Ducks' operations who operate in Branson and several other cities who have had several accidents over the past 20 years. Just Ducky Tours was the first to run amphibious vehicle tours with two operators on board -- a captain and a deck-hand. Just Ducky Tours operates only the original-designed, General Motors duck boats (length and width not modified) since they started operating in 1997. Just Ducky Tours runs vessels with canopies and side curtains designed specifically for easy exit in the event of an emergency, unlike 'Ride the Ducks' vehicles. All of the 'Ride the Ducks' vehicles have been modified -- their vessels are ducks that have been cut in half and extended to carry more passengers or a homemade vehicle that has been built on the chassis of an old truck called 'Truck Ducks.' Just Ducky Tours has maintained a very close relationship with the U.S. Coast Guard over the past 20 years, ensuring their vehicle structure and safety protocols meet or exceed strict guidelines. The U.S. Coast Guard has applauded Just Ducky Tours for their dedication to safety infrastructure and procedure.

"If you consider that we've safely toured nearly 2 million passengers on the streets and rivers of Pittsburgh in the past 21 years and then consider the many accidents associated with 'Ride the Ducks' and their affiliates, it appears that they are bad operators, and the rest of us are paying the price," said Chris D'Addario, co-owner of Just Ducky Tours.

"It is understandable that the accident in Branson would make people take pause before considering a duck boat tour, however we can stand on our flawless safety record over 21 years," added D'Addario. "When we are presented with difficult circumstances we always make the safe decision. We have canceled our tours hundreds of times due to unsafe weather or river conditions over the past two decades, and we will continue to follow best practices as they relate to our passengers and crew."

"The fact that a federal criminal investigation has now been open into the judgement and decision-making of a 'Ride the Ducks' operator, calls into question whether they’ve put profit over safety, which we have never done," concluded D'Addario.

Just Ducky Tours has been voted the Best City Tour in Pittsburgh by the City Paper Best of Pittsburgh Readers' Poll for the past five years.

‘Just Ducky’ river tours pulls plug in Pa. city: Here’s why

  • Updated: Jun. 26, 2019, 2:13 p.m. |
  • Published: Jun. 26, 2019, 7:22 a.m.

duck boat tours dealt a big blow in PA

With duck boat safety an increasing concern after several deadly accidents, it mattered little that Pittsburgh's Just Ducky tour boats are inspected annually and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard for safety—and carry 30 life jackets for adults and 30 for children.

‘Just Ducky’ duck boat tours may have quacked its last in this Pa. river city. And the culprit in sinking this season’s business has been revealed.

As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports , Just Ducky Tours, based in Pittsburgh’s Station Square, is pulling the plug on the entire season, which would have run from April 1 to Nov. 30.

And the future of the business is far from certain.

This, after several high-profile and deadly duck boat accidents have pushed the company’s insurance rates out of sight, according to the report:

Specifically, owner Michael Cohen, who started the business in 1997 with a friend, Chris D’Addario, told the Post-Gazette last year’s duck boat sinking in a Missouri lake, killing 17 people, has left his amphibious boat business all but dead, as well.

“We were just a victim of the unscrupulous actions of the operator in Branson, Mo.,” Cohen told the newspaper. “If that accident had never happened, we would be operating today.”

Instead, Cohen said his insurance company initially cancelled his policy and then wanted a 120 percent increase, putting coverage out of reach and the business’s future in limbo.

Background from the Post-Gazette:

In the Table Rock Lake tragedy in Missouri, a duck boat was caught in a thunderstorm last summer that produced 60 mph hour winds and three-foot waves – despite having been warned about the oncoming weather.

The boat sank; and the 17 killed ranged in age from 1 to 70. None of the passengers wore life jackets.

Worse yet, the Table Rock Lake accident was the sixth involving a duck boat since 1999, including one in Philadelphia in 2010 in which two people died on the Delaware River.

As a result, Cohen said he learned in January that “our insurance company would not renew us. We had a very clean loss-run history. It didn’t matter. The insurance companies got spooked.”

It mattered little that Cohen said his Just Ducky tour boats are inspected annually and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard for safety—and carry 30 life jackets for adults and 30 for children.

“We are never more than 250 feet from shore,” Cohen told the newspaper. “We never put passengers in harm’s way.”

Now, those once-amphibious vehicles designed for fun on both land and water will remain in dry-dock for the foreseeable future.

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Just Ducky Tours Continue In Pittsburgh Amid Missouri Tragedy

Just Ducky Tours Continue In Pittsburgh Amid Missouri Tragedy

Duck boat tours continued in Pittsburgh over the weekend following Thursday’s incident in Missouri when a duck boat capsized and killed 17 people.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports dozens of people boarded Just Ducky Tours’ fleet on Friday for a tour of downtown Pittsburgh, Station Square, the North Shore and the three rivers. Several people who took the tours told the newspaper that they were aware of the tragedy in Branson, Missouri, but they felt safe.

The official cause of the sinking in Missouri has not been determined, but investigators initially blamed thunderstorms and strong winds.

Former head of the National Transportation Safety Board says ducks tours should be banned.

Jim Hall, who served under President Bill Clinton, said the fatal accident on Thursday in Missouri seemed eerily similar to a 1999 duck boat accident that killed 13 people in Arkansas.

He said duck boat tours are essentially unregulated amusement park rides, because they don’t fall neatly into being either a boat or a bus.

Duck boats are based on World War II military landing craft and are popular with tourists because they permit sightseeing on both land and water.

USA Today contributed to this report. 

Photo by Martin Pettitt

The post Just Ducky Tours Continue In Pittsburgh Amid Missouri Tragedy appeared first on ButlerRadio.com – Butler, PA .

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Three Men Charged in 2018 Missouri Duck Boat Accident

The captain and two other employees of a tour boat company were charged with first-degree involuntary manslaughter in the sinking. Seventeen people, including a family and several children, were killed when it sank.

just ducky tours accident

By Johnny Diaz

Three employees of a Missouri tour boat company were charged with felony criminal charges over a 2018 accident that killed 17 people on a lake, prosecutors said on Friday, bringing new charges in one of the deadliest accidents involving a tour boat in U.S. history.

The three employees, Kenneth Scott McKee, Charles Baltzell and Curtis Lanham, were charged with a total of 63 counts in relation to the sinking of the duck boat, Missouri’s attorney general, Eric Schmitt, and a Stone County prosecutor, Matt Selby, said in a statement on Friday.

Mr. McKee, 54, was the captain, Mr. Lanham, 38, was the general manager and Mr. Baltzell, 79, was the manager on duty on the duck boat, a vessel modeled after the amphibious trucks used in World War II to move on land and water.

They were each charged with 17 counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter, and Mr. McKee also faces several charges of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Justin Johnston, a lawyer for Mr. Baltzell, said on Friday that his client “intends to vigorously contest these charges in court.” He added, “This accident was caused by a rare weather event, and the tragic deaths of the passengers were not the result of criminal conduct by anyone.”

J. R. Hobbs and Marilyn B. Keller, lawyers for Mr. McKee, said in a statement, “We are reviewing the charges, anticipate that not guilty pleas will be entered and will continue to vigorously represent Mr. McKee.”

Tricia Bath, a lawyer for Mr. Lanham, said in a statement on Friday, “As has been the case since Curtis was initially charged in Federal Court, we are confident that he committed no crime.”

The three men worked for the tour boat company Ride the Ducks Branson. A spokeswoman for Ripley Entertainment, which acquired the duck boat operation in 2017 , said in a statement on Friday that the company continues “to cooperate with all investigations into the sudden and severe storm known as a derecho that struck Table Rock Lake in July of 2018, resulting in a tragic accident.”

She added, “while the Stone County Prosecutor has brought criminal charges as a result of the accident, all persons charged are entitled to a strong presumption of innocence until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The new criminal charges come after a federal judge had dismissed neglect and misconduct charges against the three employees last December.

The 17 people who died when the boat sank, on the afternoon of July 19, 2018, included a family of nine and several children. The boat, Stretch Duck 7, was on Table Rock Lake during a severe thunderstorm warning in the region, and severe weather and rough winds struck the lake.

Cellphone video from a witness showed the boat taking on water and struggling to move as fierce waves struck the vessel.

The National Weather Service’s office in Springfield, Mo., had issued a severe thunderstorm warning at 6:32 p.m. for southern Missouri, including Table Rock Lake, about 35 minutes before the authorities received the first calls about the sinking boat. Wind gusts of up to 75 miles per hour were reported in the area, followed by heavy rain and lightning.

A probable cause statement accused Mr. McKee, who had 16 years of experience on the lake, of failing to exercise his duties as a licensed captain by entering the lake during the severe thunderstorm warning and failing to follow policies and training by not having passengers wear flotation devices as the boat took on water.

Mr. Baltzell and Mr. Lanham, according to the statement, also failed to communicate weather conditions and cease operations during a severe thunderstorm warning.

Because the vessel had a low profile, it took on water “over the course of several minutes,” the statement said. The boat sank into about 50 feet of water in the bottom of the lake.

“It rolled in an upright position, southwest, along the bottom of the lake, to a final position in approximately 85 feet of water,” according to the statement.

In all, the boat carried 29 passengers — including 12 children — the captain and a crew member on board when it sank, according to the probable cause statement. A crew member, whose job was to drive the vehicle when it moved onto land, and 16 passengers were killed.

Johnny Diaz is a general assignment reporter covering breaking news. He previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel and The Boston Globe. More about Johnny Diaz

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Following the tragedy in Branson, will duck boats ever ride again in Missouri?

Ripley entertainment has said it will not operate its duck boats this summer. but, will they ever return to missouri and what will happen if they do.

Sandwiched between the McDonald's and the Goodnight Inn on Branson's main strip, the building that used to house Ride the Ducks now boasts unlimited play on its indoor laser tag course.

For the remainder of this year , the amphibious tour boat business has been replaced by Top Ops — a patriotic-themed laser tag arena and outdoor maze that says it will donate a portion of its proceeds to local first responders .

But what about the future? Will the duck boats ever return to Table Rock Lake after one of them sank during a tour last July , killing 17 people and forever scarring 14 survivors?

Ripley Entertainment, which ran the Branson duck boat operation , said through a spokesperson that its duck boat fleet is in storage and a decision has not yet been made about whether or not the vessels will be used on the lake in the future.

There are strong opinions on the outside.

Some have called for the vehicles, which still operate in other cities, to be banned altogether, while others say Branson's duck boat operation is tied into the city's social fabric as much as other staples like the Baldknobbers and the Titanic Museum.

Ripley's duck boat fleet is in storage and a decision has not yet been made about whether or not the vessels will be used on the lake in the future.

Are duck boats dangerous? This lawyer says they're 'death traps'

Philadelphia attorney Robert Mongeluzzi doesn't care about the happy memories some Branson tourists might associate with splashing into the water during a duck boat tour.

"They are lethal on land and on water and they should be banned," Mongeluzzi said.

Mongeluzzi represents the families of several duck boat victims in their lawsuits against Ripley Entertainment, and he has brought similar litigation against duck boat operators after deaths in the Philadelphia area.

By his law firm's count, 43 people have died in duck boat incidents over the last 20 years , including 13 who died in a 1999 sinking in Hot Springs, Arkansas .

Despite the recent deaths, duck boat tours still operate in many American cities — including Hot Springs.

Branson duck boat lawsuits : Ripley reaches settlements in more than half of t he cases

"Because of money," Mongeluzzi said. "They continue to operate these death traps to make a profit, knowing how deadly and dangerous they are."

Mongeluzzi said the duck boats, which are modeled after World War II era vehicles, have large blind spots in the front when they are driven on the road, which can lead to crashes. In the water, he said modified bilge pumps aren't powerful enough to keep the vessels from sinking in rough water, and the overhead canopies can trap passengers inside.

They continue to operate these death traps to make a profit, knowing how deadly and dangerous they are.

Mongeluzzi isn't alone with his anti-duck boat position; former National Transportation Safety Board chairman Jim Hall also called for the banning of duck boats after the Table Rock Lake tragedy.

Tia Coleman, an Indianapolis woman whose husband and three children drowned in the sinking , has also called for duck boats to be banned, even starting an online petition urging Congress and the United States Coast Guard to act.

By Robert Mongeluzzi’s law firm's count, 43 people have died in duck boat incidents over the last 20 years.

"This is a time for reflection and remembrance of my precious, loving family and all the victims of a devastating, preventable catastrophe," Coleman said in a statement. "I draw hope and energy from their memory to fight to ban dangerous, death trap duck boats like the one that killed my family and the others."

While the future of the Branson Ride the Ducks operation is uncertain, the tragedy on Table Rock Lake did have an impact on the duck boat industry in other parts of the country.

A year later: Branson remembers how community came together

In Mobile, Alabama, a duck boat company reportedly had to stop tours for about year, citing rising insurance costs after the Table Rock Lake sinking. And in Pittsburgh, Just Ducky Tours reportedly canceled its 2019 season for the same reason.

Mongeluzzi, the attorney, said given the current climate in the insurance industry, he would be especially surprised to see duck boats ever make a return to Table Rock Lake.

"I think they are going to slowly continue to end up where they should be, which is extinct," Mongeluzzi said.

Former Branson captain says duck boats are safe

Toby "Tugg" Hicks said he would be sad if the duck boats never come back to Table Rock Lake.

Hicks said he was a duck boat captain on the lake for about four years in the early 2000s and he wouldn't think twice about taking his family on a duck boat tour today.

"I believe, in my experience, they are 100 percent safe," Hicks said. "There's absolutely no reason I wouldn't take a ride on those ducks again."

Hicks said his heart goes out to the victims of last year's sinking , but he feels like it's also important to remember the duck boats operated on Table Rock Lake for decades without any deadly incidents before last summer.

"I believe, in my experience, they are 100 percent safe," said Toby "Tugg" Hicks, former duck boat captain.

Timeline:  What happened during the tragedy on Table Rock Lake 

Last year's sinking led to a wave of lawsuits against Ripley and also spawned a criminal investigation that has led to the indictment of three Ripley employees — duck boat captain Kenneth McKee , Ride the Ducks Branson General Manager Curtis Lanham and the company's Operations Supervisor Charles Baltzell.

The Ripley employees are facing the possibility of decades in prison after federal prosecutors accused them of ignoring weather warnings and prioritizing profits over safety when they put the duck boat out on the water that evening.

I believe, in my experience, they are 100 percent safe. There's absolutely no reason I wouldn't take a ride on those ducks again.

Hicks said, like any other mass-casualty event, it's important to let authorities complete their investigation before making sweeping decisions about all duck boats.

Spokesman Keith Holloway said the NTSB is still investigating the duck boat sinking and a final report could be completed "sometime this fall."

Hicks said he will wait for authorities to complete a thorough investigation before drawing any conclusions about the evening of July 19, 2018 . But he would welcome the ducks back to Table Rock Lake and the streets of Branson if the owners can figure out exactly what went wrong last year and how to make sure a similar tragedy doesn't happen again.

"That's one of the original entertainment options of Branson," Hicks said. "They are kind of a mainstay down there."

The NTSB is still investigating the duck boat sinking and a final report could be completed "sometime this fall."

The duck boat tragedy in Branson devastated our communities as 17 people were killed after the boat capsized on Table Rock Lake. We're dedicated to providing you with in-depth reporting on issues that matter most.   Please support our work .

A duck boat return could be blocked

If Ripley Entertainment ever decided it did want to re-open its Ride the Ducks operation, there could be a legal mechanism in place to block them.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Missouri Attorney General's Office sued Ripley Entertainment, claiming the company had violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act by not acting on safety recommendations made by the NTSB after the 1999 sinking in Arkansas.

Those proceedings are on hold as the criminal investigation continues, but there is an order in place that would require Ripley to give the state 90 days notice before resuming duck boat operations.

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley introduced a bill this year that would require duck boats across the country to be subject to a series of safety improvements.

"The most important thing to me, was to get these duck boats off Missouri waters prior to the upcoming tourist season, ensuring that Missourians and tourists would not be put in harms' way," Attorney General Eric Schmitt said in a May statement. "And, in the future, the operators need to provide significant warning to the state if they intend to even attempt to get back on the water. If that is the case, we will stop them."

Ride the Ducks operator: Ripley Entertainment says it wants to support families on anniversary of duck boat tragedy

Legislation regarding duck boats is also making its way through the U.S. Congress. 

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley introduced a bill this year that would require duck boats across the country to be subject to a series of safety improvements , including removing the canopies, requiring passengers to wear life jackets, installing independently powered bilge pumps to remove water from a flooding boat and ensuring boats are watertight before they enter the water.

Rep. Andre Carson, a Democrat from Indiana, introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives. Nine of the 17 people killed in the Table Rock Lake sinking were members of the same Indiana family .

'Like I've never seen before': A moment-by-moment account of the tragic duck boat sinking

Hawley, a Republican, said he is thankful the legislation has support on both sides of the aisle.

"I’ve been pleased by the bipartisan, bicameral support for my legislation to prevent future duck boat tragedies like the one at Table Rock Lake last summer," Hawley said. "I’ll continue to push my colleagues to bring this crucial legislation up for a vote."

Roy Blunt, Missouri's other U.S. senator, has also signed on to support Hawley's bill. Blunt, a Republican, is a member of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and could be influential in getting the bill up for a vote.

The Missouri AG sued Ripley Entertainment, claiming the company had violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act by not acting on safety recommendations made by the NTSB.

In a statement to the News-Leader, Blunt chastised the U.S. Coast Guard and NTSB for what he perceives as a lack of progress in their investigations into the duck boat sinking.

"It has been a year since 17 people lost their lives in the tragedy at Table Rock Lake," Blunt said. "The Coast Guard and the NTSB have had more than enough time to complete their investigations, issue recommendations, and implement new safety measures. Their failure to do so is unacceptable. In the absence of their action, this bill is an important step toward improving duck boat safety. I will work with Sen. Hawley and our congressional colleagues on any additional provisions that may be needed following the NTSB’s final report."

9 family members among the 17 dead in Missouri duck boat accident

Severe thunderstorms struck the area at the time of the Thursday night accident.

Nine people in one family were among the 17 killed when a tourist duck boat capsized in a Missouri lake Thursday night, the governor's office said. Two other members of that family survived.

Twenty-nine passengers and two crew members were on board the amphibious craft when it plunged into 80 feet of water in Table Rock Lake near Branson as severe thunderstorms struck the area, officials said. The boat landed upright on its wheels, Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said.

Children were among the 17 killed, officials said. Seven others were injured, one seriously, the governor's office said. The ages of the victims range from 1 to 76 years old, according to the sheriff's office.

Belinda Coleman, Glenn Coleman, Horace "Butch" Coleman, Irvin Raymond Coleman, Angela Coleman, Evan Coleman, Reece Coleman, Maxwell Coleman and Arya Coleman all perished in the tragedy, a family member told ABC News.

People pray outside Ride the Ducks, an amphibious tour operator involved in a boating accident on Table Rock Lake, Friday, July 20, 2018 in Branson, Mo.

Six patients were admitted to the Cox Medical Center Branson, hospital officials said in a press conference Friday afternoon. Two adults are in critical condition, and two children are in stable condition, officials said. One child and one adult have been released.

It appeared there were life jackets on board, Rader said, but it was not yet clear how many people were wearing them.

The captain survived, while the driver did not.

A survivor of the tragedy, who lost nine of her family members in the accident, says the captain of the boat told her family not to worry about life jackets, Fox affiliate WXIN reported .

"My husband would want me to say this -- he would want the world to know that on this boat we were on, the captain had told us 'don't worry about grabbing the life jackets -- you won't need them' so nobody grabbed them as we listened to the captain as he told us to stay seated," Tia Coleman said.

People pray around a van believed to belong to victims of a duck boat accident in the parking lot of the business running the boat tours Friday, July 20, 2018 in Branson, Mo.

Tia Coleman also spoke to CBS affiliate KOLR from her hospital bed, telling them she lost her husband and all three of her children: Reece, Evan and Arya.

"I couldn't hear screams, it felt like I was out there on my own," Tia Coleman said. "And I was yelling, screaming and finally, I said, 'Lord, just let me die, let me die, I can't keep drowning, I just can't keep drowning.' And then I just let go."

A rescue boat ended up throwing her a life jacket and she was pulled aboard. Her 13-year-old nephew was the only other person from the family to survive, she told KOLR.

ABC News reached out to Ripley Entertainment, which owns the duck boat company, but they did not immediately respond.

An investigation is now underway.

The personal flotation devices, and whether they were worn, will "definitely be a focus of the investigation and certainly one of the questions we will be looking to ask," U.S. Coast Guard Captain Scott Stoermer said at a press conference Friday night.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which arrived at the scene Friday afternoon, said they are working to interview survivors as well as gather physical evidence. Some of the evidence will be taken back to Washington, D.C., for further analysis, according to an NTSB representative.

"We'll be working arduously to determine what happened, why it happened and how to prevent it from happening again," NTSB member Earl Weener said Friday.

Officials intent to try and salvage the vessel and are working with the owner, NTSB and experts in naval architecture to have a proper salvage plan in place. That will happen in the coming days, according to the USCG.

PHOTO: Sonja Malaske, of Harrah, Okla., shows a picture she took from the Branson Belle of people being pulled from the water after a duck boat capsized on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo., July 20, 2018.

Counselors are on-hand to help survivors cope and also just be there for the "little things," she said. One counselor took a survivor with wet socks to the bathroom to help him dry them out, she said.

"While they're investigating, the thing to do is we're keeping our focus on the families, and once again keeping them in our thoughts and our prayers," Best said. "We're very resilient."

PHOTO: A park ranger patrols an area, July 20, 2018, near where a duck boat capsized the night before resulting in at least 13 deaths near Branson, Mo.

(MORE: A look back at past deadly duck tour incidents)

(more: how the missouri duck boat capsize unfolded amid weather warnings).

Severe evening thunderstorms, including winds in excess of 60 mph, struck the area at the time of the deadly crash. Eyewitness video showed the craft, which travels on land and water, taking on water as waves lashed at its sides.

PHOTO: A video grab shows a tourist duck boat taking on water in a lake near Branson, Mo., July 20, 2018.

Tony Burkhart posted a video on Twitter showing the stormy conditions on the lake before the boat capsized. He said he and his wife decided not to take the tour because of the weather.

Allison Lester, who was on a nearby boat, told "Good Morning America” Friday that the waters "were rough.”

"The wind really picked up bad and debris was flying everywhere,” she said.

Lester's boyfriend, Trent Behr, added: "We actually heard the captain say the boat flipped or the boat was sinking.”

Behr said he saw a woman lying in the water.

PHOTO: Rescue personnel are seen after an amphibious "duck boat" capsized and sank, at Table Rock Lake near Branson, Stone County, Mo., July 19, 2018.

"We eventually did pull her up onto the boat," Behr said. "She was unconscious. I was about ready to start CPR and the EMT did show up at that time."

Suzanne Smagala-Potts of Ride the Ducks Branson, the company involved in the accident, said in a statement, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic accident."

"This incident has deeply affected all of us," Smagala-Potts said. "We will continue to do all we can to assist the families who were involved and the authorities as they continue with the search and rescue. The safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority."

PHOTO: A handout frame grab made available by the Southern Stone County Fire Protection District shows responding agencies after an amphibious duck boat reportedly capsized on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo., July 19, 2018.

“What happened here last night was a heart-breaking tragedy, and we must all work together to support the victims and their families,” Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said in a statement Friday. “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.”

President Trump and the First Lady "extend their deepest sympathies to all those affected by yesterday’s boating accident on Table Rock Lake," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement Friday. "Our prayers are with the victims and their loved ones. We are thankful for the brave first responders and dive crews, whose quick and decisive actions have saved many lives, and we continue to pray for their safety as their search, rescue, and recovery operations continue."

“Since the incident occurred, the Administration has been in contact with Governor Parson and other State and local officials, and the President will continue to monitor and receive regular updates on the situation,” the statement added.

President Trump also expressed his condolences for the victims Friday morning on Twitter.

"My deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those involved in the terrible boat accident which just took place in Missouri," President Trump said in a tweet. "Such a tragedy, such a great loss. May God be with you all!"

ABC News' Victor Oquendo, Scott Withers, Will Gretsky, Whitney Lloyd and Matt Foster contributed to this report.

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17 Dead: The Latest on the ‘Terrible Tragedy’ of the Branson Duck Boat Sinking

S eventeen people are dead after an amphibious duck boat with tourists on board sank in a heavy storm near Branson, Missouri on Thursday.

The Stone County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the death toll on Friday morning after a dive team concluded recovery efforts to find four missing bodies.

The boat, from Ride the Ducks Branson, was one of two vessels caught in a heavy storm that rolled into the area about 7 p.m. local time. Videos posted on local media showed two boats struggling to make it to shore on Table Rock Lake amid heavy windy and choppy waters.

There were 31 people – 29 passengers and two crew members – aboard the capsized boat, according to the Stone County Sheriff’s Office. At a press conference Friday morning, Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said the driver of the duck boat died in the accident, but the boat’s captain was among the survivors. He said an off-duty sheriff’s deputy working on security for the nearby Branson Belle riverboat in Table Rock Lake helped to rescue people in the water after the accident.

“It’s been a long night and a very trying night,” Rader said.

Seventeen people have been confirmed dead, including children. Fourteen survived, with seven taken to hospital. Those who died ranged in age from 1 to 70 years old, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Jason Pace.

Rader said Friday morning that he did not have more information about whether the boat operators had checked the weather forecast before leaving shore or whether passengers had been wearing life jackets on board.

The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a team to investigate the cause of the accident.

“Right now, it’s just a time for thoughts and prayers. There’s a lot of healing that has to take place right now,” Missouri Governor Mike Parson said at Friday’s press conference. “All those details will come in time, but for right now, it’s about really trying to protect the families, to unite the families and to deal with the situation they’re in. I think that’s the most important thing.”

WOW - video captures duck tour boat sinking in Missouri w/31 people on board. 11 people are dead, including children, 5 people are still missing in the lake and 7 are in the hospital. You can see there was terrible weather. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued 30 mins before. pic.twitter.com/w8T17pE37B — Erica Rakow (@EricaRakow) July 20, 2018

Who are the victims of the duck boat accident?

The Stone County Sheriff’s Office on Friday released the names of the 17 victims. They include nine members of the same family , a couple from St. Louis , a couple from Higginsville , a father and son from Arkansas and a grandmother who died saving her granddaughter , according to local media reports. The boat’s driver, Bob Williams , was also among the deceased.

Why did the duck boat sink?

Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader attributed the sinking to heavy winds.

The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Branson area Thursday evening. Wind speeds reached 60 mph, a weather service meteorologist in Springfield told the Associated Press.

“They were coming back to land. There were actually two ducks. The first one made it out and the second one didn’t,” Rader said at a press conference Thursday night.

Video posted to the Springfield News-Leader showed the two boats struggling to make it to shore in heavy wind and waves. Onlooker Jennie P. Carr, who was on the Branson Belle Showboat as people had dinner, recorded footage of the boat’s nose sinking below the water. The camera turned away before the boat sank.

“It got closer to us on the Showboat and you could see water going into the boat. I did see he was starting to sink. It was leaning to the right,” she told the newspaper.

She said the boat was out of sight when it sank.

What is the duck boat operator saying?

On Friday morning the operators’ website was replaced by an image of a black ribbon, with a statement reading: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic accident that occurred at Ride The Ducks Branson. This incident has deeply affected all of us. Words cannot convey how profoundly our hearts are breaking.”

It continued, “We will continue to do all we can to assist the families who were involved and the authorities as they continue with the search and rescue. The safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority. Ride the Ducks will be closed for business while we support the investigation, and to allow time to grieve for the families and the community.”

“Thank you for your support, and we ask that your thoughts and prayers be with the families during this time.”

Have there been other fatal duck boat accidents?

In 1999, a duck boat on Lake Hamilton, Arkansas, sank, drowning 13 of its 21 passengers. After that incident, the National Transportation Safety Board said the roof canopy of the boat was to blame, after finding four of the victims pinned against the roof at the bottom of the lake. Three more were also trapped inside the boat.

In 2015, a duck boat collided with a charter bus on a bridge in Seattle, killing five people and injuring 69. And in 2016, a duck boat in Boston struck and killed a motorist , sparking a debate over the vessels’ safety.

What is a duck boat?

A duck boat is the colloquial name for an amphibious vehicle that can operate on land and in the water. The vehicles are based off a military design first used during World War II. They are now a common vehicle in lake tours around the world.

Ride The Ducks Branson was acquired by entertainment giant Ripley in December 2017.

How are officials responding?

Missouri Governor Mike Parson ordered all flags at government offices in the state to be flown at half-staff for a week to honor the victims of the boating accident.

Very sad to hear about this horrible accident - prayers for all those involved and the first responders who are assisting. https://t.co/PQ56zagc0s — Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) July 20, 2018

President Donald Trump tweeted his condolences to the victims of the accident, saying “My deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those involved in the terrible boat accident which just took place in Missouri. Such a tragedy, such a great loss. May God be with you all!”

My deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those involved in the terrible boat accident which just took place in Missouri. Such a tragedy, such a great loss. May God be with you all! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 20, 2018
Tragedy here in Missouri this evening. Heavy hearts for the families of those who have died and are hurt. And as always sincere thanks to the first responders. https://t.co/RrASkl0fcU — Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) July 20, 2018
Deeply saddened by the tragedy at Table Rock Lake. My prayers are with the families and friends who lost their loved ones. Thank you to the first responders who are assisting. — Senator Roy Blunt (@RoyBlunt) July 20, 2018
Terrible tragedy on Table Rock Lake last night. Erin and I are praying for the families involved and for the missing. My office ready to assist law enforcement as needed in investigation. https://t.co/KM0XaR541z — Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) July 20, 2018
Just spoke with Gov. Mike Parson of Missouri about the tragic loss of life in Branson from the boat incident. I am grateful for the divers at work and our heart goes out to the families. Arkansas stands ready to help. — Gov. Asa Hutchinson (@AsaHutchinson) July 20, 2018

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For popular duck boats in the Wisconsin Dells, spot-checks show some potential safety issues

Duck boats are familiar vessels to those who have visited the Wisconsin Dells anytime in the past 75 years. The amphibious passenger vehicles, which originated in World War II and earned the nickname “duck boats” from their military designation DUKW, are almost as much of a Wisconsin Dells institution as the waterways they explore.

But what Dells visitors might not know is that duck boats nationwide have a history of safety concerns that have plagued the industry and led to dozens of injuries and fatal accidents, all of which have gone largely unchecked by regulators.

While there haven’t been tragedies that have captured headlines in the Wisconsin Dells, spot-checks by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found several potential problems, such as a lack of seat belts on some boats as well as canopy roofs on other vessels that could trap passengers if the vehicles sank.

The Journal Sentinel also found mask use among both duck boat operators’ employees and passengers to be minimal, even after Gov. Tony Evers’ emergency order mandating face coverings.

Duck boat operators maintain that their boats are safe, but the industry has suffered from the accidents. This summer, Ride the Ducks of Seattle auctioned off its fleet of duck boats. And while the company said in a statement that the pandemic “certainly accelerated” the company’s closure, the business never recovered from a 2015 crash that killed five.

Last year, duck boats from Just Ducky Tours in Pittsburgh also went up for auction , raising concerns for some about these vehicles landing in the possession of individuals unaware of their risks.

41 deaths since 1999

Nationwide, at least 41 deaths have been tied to duck boat accidents since 1999, when a duck boat sank near Hot Springs, Arkansas, killing 13. A contributing factor in that accident was the duck boat’s canopy roof, which prevented some passengers from swimming out of the sinking vessel, a federal investigation found .

Two summers ago, a duck boat sank in Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri, when a storm rolled in, claiming the lives of 17. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board determined the boat’s fixed canopy roof “likely increased the number of fatalities,” echoing a characteristic of the Arkansas tragedy.

Other safety concerns include the side curtains some duck boats have, which can also become barriers for escape in the event of a sinking; insufficient “reserve buoyancy,” which refers to the internal volume of a vessel that isn’t or can’t be flooded; driver distraction; blind spots created by the large hull; and a lack of seat belts for the land portions of the tour.

Two Dells ducks companies

But not all these concerns apply to the two duck boat operators in the Wisconsin Dells, Original Wisconsin Ducks and Dells Army Ducks, whose season runs through mid-November.

Original Wisconsin Ducks has no history of accidents resulting in serious injury or death, according to a company spokesperson. The business declined to answer detailed questions from the Journal Sentinel.

The newspaper was unable to get any information on Dells Army Ducks’ safety record. The company did not respond to inquiries or a detailed list of questions. 

Duck boats for both companies can make an exit onto land within a minute if necessary, the operators told the Chicago Tribune in 2018 following the Missouri sinking.

Both Original Wisconsin Ducks and Dells Army Ducks drive original, World War II-style duck boats. The boats involved in the accidents in Missouri in 2018 and in Seattle in 2015 involved “stretch ducks,” which were lengthened versions of the vessels to accommodate additional passengers.

Wisconsin law classifies duck boats as a “special interest vehicle” and specifies that “unless inconsistent with this section, the provisions applicable to other vehicles shall apply to special interest vehicles.” But beyond that, the state doesn’t have any specific laws regulating duck boats.

While Wisconsin lacks precise duck boat regulations, the National Transportation Safety Board — a governing body that conducts investigations but has no power to enact laws — has made 22 safety recommendations since the 1999 duck boat sinking in Arkansas.

Spot-checking Dells ducks

A Journal Sentinel reporter recently joined a boat tour with both Original Wisconsin Ducks and Dells Army Ducks to spot potential safety issues, with an eye toward hazards that were factors in accidents in other cities.

The spot-checks were not meant to mirror official regulatory checks; rather, the aim was to provide clues for potential problems.

The seating on duck boats for both companies is like a school bus: two sides of bench seats with an aisle down the middle. There were no seat belts when the reporter rode the boats on July 24.

Wisconsin law mandates the use of safety belts in motor vehicles, a rule that doesn’t contradict any of the special-interest-vehicle-specific laws and thus may apply to duck boats. However, motor vehicles are only subject to these equipment-related regulations while on highways , which Wisconsin law defines as “all public ways and thoroughfares and bridges on the same. It includes the entire width between the boundary lines of every way open to the use of the public as a matter of right for the purposes of vehicular travel.” Both duck boat tours the Journal Sentinel reporter went on drove on roads for short periods of time.

The lack of seat belts could be a concern for the land portion of the tour, as 11 passengers were ejected from the duck boat in the 2015 accident in Seattle. In that accident, the vehicle did not include seat belts. But leaving seat belts buckled during the water portion of the tour could trap passengers inside the duck boat if it begins to sink.

At the Original Wisconsin Ducks, the canopy roof that stretches over the aisle in the middle appears to be a tarp-like material with handles to pull it down along the length of the boat. In the 2018 Tribune article, Dan Gavinski, identified as the general manager of Original Wisconsin Ducks, said these canopies are held in place with Velcro and can break away so passengers can exit the vessel through the top, if necessary.

The Original Wisconsin Ducks tour takes passengers through gorges, forests and hills along a private path. Except for a handful of times the duck boat needs to cross a road to reach the next trail, the boat was not on the street with other vehicles.

Some fatal duck boat accidents in other locations involved traffic collisions; the path taken on the Original Wisconsin Ducks tour reduces that risk.

When the Original Wisconsin Ducks boat the Journal Sentinel rode on crossed public streets with other vehicles — which duck boats are legally allowed to do — the driver temporarily stopped narrating the tour. This was notable because a potential cause cited in a 2016 fatal accident in Boston was one person multitasking the duties of both tour guide and driver.

In the investigation into the 2015 Seattle crash that killed five people, the safety board included the recommendation that the Passenger Vessel Association, a national organization representing passenger vessel operators, notify its members who operate duck boats of the importance of “reducing the risk of driver distraction by having a tour guide conduct each tour.”

Some of the Dells Army Ducks tours took place on public streets with other vehicles. The driver on the tour with the Journal Sentinel continued to narrate the tour while on the road with other vehicles.

The canopy on the Dells Army Ducks duck boat did not appear to allow passengers to exit through the top due to a series of parallel metal bars running the length of the vessel, leaving gaps only a few inches wide between them.

Jason Field, identified as the operator of Dells Army Ducks by the Tribune in 2018, declined to answer questions about the company’s canopies for that story.

Safety presentations

Both companies gave a safety presentation to passengers at the outset of each trip, where drivers pointed out locations of life jackets, told passengers the emergency exits are over the sides, explained rules such as “no smoking” and demonstrated how to put on a life jacket.

On the Original Wisconsin Ducks tour, the driver did not mention that passengers should remain seated, something recommended by the Coast Guard . Neither company pointed out the location of fire extinguishing equipment.

Customers at both duck boat companies said they were largely unconcerned about potential safety risks.

Angie Hoium, 43, of Janesville said she wasn’t aware of duck boats’ history of safety concerns when she visited the Original Wisconsin Ducks on Aug. 14, but she was still pleased with her experience riding the duck boat.

“She was a good driver,” Hoium said of her duck boat operator.

At Dells Army Ducks that same day, Autumn Kitzman, 29, of Oconomowoc said she was aware that safety concerns existed for duck boats but was not worried about riding the boats at the Wisconsin Dells.

Coronavirus risk

This summer, duck boat tours also came with an additional risk: the coronavirus.

Before Evers’ statewide mask mandate went into effect Aug. 1, there were no formal orders in place locally to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in any of the four counties that cover the Wisconsin Dells area.

When the Journal Sentinel visited Original Wisconsin Ducks on July 28, before the mask mandate, a reporter counted 16 employees working by the duck boats, at the snack bar, in the gift shop, taking photos and selling tickets. Of those 16 employees, two were wearing masks.

That same day, the duck boats themselves were nearly full. The Original Wisconsin Ducks’ duck boats have five rows of seats, and two people can sit on each side of the aisle, occasionally with small children squeezing in as well. This sets the vessels’ top capacity at about 20 passengers.

Over the course of an hour — 12:40 to 1:40 p.m. — on July 28, the Journal Sentinel counted 16 duck boats departing, a majority carrying between 10 and 20 passengers. Fewer than 10% were wearing masks.

When the Journal Sentinel returned to the Original Wisconsin Ducks on Aug. 14, after the mask mandate had taken effect, few employees were wearing face coverings, even inside the gift shop.

The Journal Sentinel counted 13 employees, and only three were wearing masks. About 10% of the passengers were wearing masks.

When a reporter visited Dells Army Ducks on July 28, before the mask mandate, six employees were spotted selling tickets or working by the boats or in the snack bar and gift shop. None were wearing masks.

Boats at Dells Army Ducks have six rows of seats, and two passengers usually sit on each side of the aisle. This makes the average maximum capacity around 24. When the Journal Sentinel visited between 2 and 3 p.m. July 28, only a handful of passengers wore masks.

When the Journal Sentinel revisited Aug. 14, after the mask mandate, the reporter saw six employees, none of whom were wearing masks, even inside the gift shop. Again, few passengers wore masks.

While the duck boat tours take place outdoors, the canopied vessels are considered an “enclosed space” under Evers’ mask mandate , meaning passengers should be wearing face coverings while onboard and seated closely together for an extended period of time.

Hoium, the customer who visited the Original Wisconsin Ducks, was not wearing a mask. She said she had masks in her purse, adding that the group she arrived with was all on the same boat, sitting together.

Kitzman, who visited Dells Army Ducks, also was not wearing a mask, but she said she and her group wore them while indoors.

Safety recommendations

In the absence of formal laws, safety officials have offered recommendations regarding the operation of duck boats.

In 1990, the federal government ruled the portion of the Wisconsin River used by duck boat operators a non-navigable waterway, meaning the task of regulation falls on the state government instead of the U.S. Coast Guard, which oversees most other duck boats.

Following the 1999 duck boat sinking in Arkansas, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a list of recommendations to the Wisconsin governor, along with the U.S. Coast Guard and the governor of New York.

The recommendations required duck boat operators to provide reserve buoyancy for their vessels, so the boats will have a backup method of flotation in the event of flooding. Until the operators provide reserve buoyancy, the safety board provided a list of other requirements related to flotation, such as closing unnecessary access plugs and installing pumps to remove excess water from the boats, along with removal of canopies or installation of a canopy that doesn’t restrict escape. The safety board also recommended passengers put on life jackets before the start of the water portion of the tour.

In its initial response to the safety board in 2002, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources cited the law that declared the Wisconsin River not under Coast Guard jurisdiction and said it would pass the recommendations along.

The safety board followed up two years later, pointing to the lack of regulation for Wisconsin’s duck boats and the 1999 accident in Arkansas.

“[T]his lack of regulation is an unacceptable endangerment to the public who ride these vehicles,” the safety board wrote at the time . “Public safety necessitates enforcement of safety standards for amphibious passenger vehicles beyond basic recreational boating safety requirements.”

According to correspondence posted on the safety board’s website, the State of Wisconsin did not reply. The safety board sent follow-up statements in 2006 and 2007, continuing to urge the state to “reconsider its position on this issue and implement these vital safety standards.” On August 11, 2006, the board classified Wisconsin’s response on these safety recommendations as “Closed — Unacceptable Action.”

Wisconsin’s then-Department of Natural Resources secretary, Matthew Frank, responded to the safety board’s communications in November 2007, saying that the department can only implement rules necessary to bring the state into compliance with federal regulations. Because the recommendations were not federal regulations, Frank said only the state Legislature could implement them.

Since that final record of communication, the safety board’s recommendations have yet to be implemented by the state.

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Just Ducky Tours' boats, parts and a trolley have been sent to auction

PITTSBURGH — The owners of the Just Ducky Tours, a Pittsburgh-based amphibious tour boat company, have sent their eight-vehicle amphibious fleet, all of its spare parts and a Molly’s Trolley off to auction after announcing plans to cancel operations for the 2019 season.

>>RELATED:  Just Ducky Tours not operating in Pittsburgh in 2019

In June, Just Ducky Tours co-founder Michael Cohen said that his  company was unable to secure proper insurance  after a duck boat accident in Missouri killed 17 passengers in 2018. At the time, he said the company's 50 employees had been laid off the previous September, and that he hoped someone in Pittsburgh would buy the company.

Read more in the Pittsburgh Business Times. 

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Moscow plane crash: Hero pilot climbed back into the wreckage to call his wife

The hero pilot who safely crash-landed a Russian airliner climbed back into the burning wreckage to call his wife.

Damir Yusupov, 41, was hailed a hero by both the media and the Kremlin after a safely landing an A321 so smoothly on Thursday that just one of the 233 people on board was hospitalized.

Shortly afterwards he told the Russian media: "After the evacuation of passengers I got out, went around the plane, examined the external damage, made sure that everything was at a safe distance.

"I returned to the cockpit and from there called my wife,” he said, according to The Sun .

Yusupov said when one of the plane's engines shut down due to a bird strike he initially hoped to circle Moscow’s Zhukovsky airport and land normally.

He decided to perform the emergency landing moments later when the second engine cut off, leaving him no choice.

READ MORE FROM YAHOO UK:

Hero pilot carrying 226 tourists lands in cornfield after plane collided with flock of birds

Investigators say 13 people dead in moscow plane fire, torrential rain floods area around moscow's sheremetyevo airport.

Yusupov's feat on Thursday drew comparisons to the 2009 "miracle on the Hudson," when Capt. Chesley Sullenberger safely ditched his plane in New York's Hudson River after a bird strike disabled its engines.

Yusupov told reporters on Friday he "saw a corn field ahead and hoped to make a reasonably soft landing."

State television said the incident was being dubbed the "miracle over Ramensk", the name of the district near Moscow where the plane came down around one kilometre (0.62 miles) from Zhukovsky International Airport.

The Komsomolskaya Pravda tabloid praised pilot Damir Yusupov as a "hero," saying he had saved 233 lives, "having masterfully landed a plane without its landing gear with a failing engine right in a corn field."

"We congratulate the hero pilots who saved people's lives," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that the Kremlin would see that the men were quickly given state honours.

"There's no doubt about this. They will be given awards."

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IMAGES

  1. Federal Investigators on Scene of Deadly Seattle Duck Boat Crash

    just ducky tours accident

  2. Video A look back at past deadly duck tour incidents

    just ducky tours accident

  3. Horrific "Ride The Ducks" Tour Crash Kills Four Students In Seattle

    just ducky tours accident

  4. After shutting down early last fall, Just Ducky Tours is resuming

    just ducky tours accident

  5. Fatal crash spurs Duck Tours safety overhaul

    just ducky tours accident

  6. Horrific "Ride The Ducks" Tour Crash Kills Four Students In Seattle

    just ducky tours accident

COMMENTS

  1. Just Ducky Tours Owner Addresses Concerns After Missouri Duck Boat

    In Pittsburgh, the tragedy was on the minds of passengers at Just Ducky Tours in Station Square. The boats are a familiar site, operating in the city for 21 years, with two million served. On a ...

  2. Pittsburgh's Just Ducky Tours ends season early, cancels all duck boat

    Just Ducky Tours has canceled the rest of its 2018 season, saying that business in Pittsburgh has fallen off after a fatal duck boat accident in Missouri and a train derailment near Station Square ...

  3. A look back at past deadly duck tour incidents

    Thirteen people were killed when a duck boat with 21 people on board sank on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1999, the National Transportation Safety Board said. The boat was about 7 ...

  4. 'Just Ducky' river tours pulls plug in Pa. city: Here's why

    As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports, Just Ducky Tours, based in Pittsburgh's Station Square, is pulling the plug on the entire season, which would have run from April 1 to Nov. 30. And the ...

  5. Just Ducky Tours Owner Addresses Concerns After Missouri Duck Boat

    In Pittsburgh, the duck boat tragedy in Missouri was on the minds of passengers at Just Ducky Tours in Station Square; KDKA's Pam Surano reports.

  6. Just Ducky Tours Continue In Pittsburgh Amid Missouri Tragedy

    Duck boat tours continued in Pittsburgh over the weekend following Thursday's incident in Missouri when a duck boat capsized and killed 17 people. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports dozens of people boarded Just Ducky Tours' fleet on Friday for a tour of downtown Pittsburgh, Station Square, the North Shore and the three rivers. Several people who […]

  7. Three Men Charged in 2018 Missouri Duck Boat Accident

    July 16, 2021. Three employees of a Missouri tour boat company were charged with felony criminal charges over a 2018 accident that killed 17 people on a lake, prosecutors said on Friday, bringing ...

  8. Pittsburgh's Just Ducky Tour fleet deemed safe by owner

    Amphibious vehicles in the Pittsburgh-based Just Ducky Tours fleet use the same canopies safety leaders cited as a deadly impediment for riders escaping a sinking vessel, though Just Ducky owners Friday reiterated that their vessels are safe. ... Emergency responders work at Table Rock Lake after a deadly boat accident in Branson, Mo., Thursday ...

  9. Will the duck boats ever return after the accident in Branson, MO?

    And in Pittsburgh, Just Ducky Tours reportedly canceled its 2019 season for the same reason. Mongeluzzi, the attorney, said given the current climate in the insurance industry, he would be ...

  10. 9 family members among the 17 dead in Missouri duck boat accident

    People pray around a van believed to belong to victims of a duck boat accident in the parking lot of the business running the boat tours Friday, July 20, 2018 in Branson, Mo. AP

  11. Branson Duck Boat Sinking: 17 Dead in 'Terrible Tragedy'

    In 1999, a duck boat on Lake Hamilton, Arkansas, sank, drowning 13 of its 21 passengers. After that incident, the National Transportation Safety Board said the roof canopy of the boat was to blame ...

  12. After shutting down early last fall, Just Ducky Tours is resuming

    Just Ducky Tours has no affiliation with the Missouri company. According to the Just Ducky Tours website, safety is a priortiy, and all safety protocols are stated on the company's website.

  13. Just Ducky Tours Cancel Operations for 2019

    The popular amphibious vehicles that have quacked down the streets and rivers of Pittsburgh for 22 years may have taken their last ride. Just Ducky Tours, Pittsburgh's only land and water tour, based in Station Square, canceled its 2019 season this week, which was set to run from April 1 to Nov. 30. The announcement, which was posted on its ...

  14. Duck boats in Wisconsin Dells have some potential safety issues, spot

    Last year, duck boats from Just Ducky Tours in Pittsburgh also went up for auction, raising concerns for some about these vehicles landing in the possession of individuals unaware of their risks ...

  15. Just Ducky Tours' boats, parts and a trolley have been sent to ...

    In June, Just Ducky Tours co-founder Michael Cohen said that his company was unable to secure proper insurance after a duck boat accident in Missouri killed 17 passengers in 2018. At the time, he ...

  16. Just Ducky Tours resuming Pittsburgh operations in April

    Quack, quack — duck boat tours are coming back. Just Ducky Tours, which operates eight World War II-era amphibious craft out of Pittsburgh's Station Square, announced on its website that it ...

  17. Pittsburgh's Just Ducky Tours : r/pittsburgh

    So I take them on the Ducky tour. The woman gets seasick and almost faints, while her husband, an avid fisherman, is allowed to take the wheel for a moment. He almost steers the tourboat into some obstacle but luckily the driver regained control. That was the end of sightseeing on the water for us.

  18. Just Ducky Boat Tours Will Return To Pittsburgh This Summer

    Six months after closing up shop early the Just Ducky Tours fleet is returning to the streets and rivers of Pittsburgh. KDKA's John Shumway reports.

  19. Ten people dead in Moscow metro accident

    Ten people died and scores were taken to hospital after a train derailed in Moscow's packed metro during rush hour on Tuesday, city authorities said. The accident is believed to be the most serious in the eight-decade history of the city's metro system, the world's busiest. Russian national television described scenes of chaos on the […]

  20. Moscow Metro Head Fired After Fatal Crash

    Following the worst accident in the Moscow metro's 80-year history, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin fired the head of the metro's management company, Ivan Besedin, on Tuesday.

  21. Moscow plane crash: Pilot climbed back into wreckage to call wife

    Damir Yusupov, 41, has been hailed a hero by the Russian media and government after the emergency landing on Thursday.

  22. More Than 100 Still in Hospital After Fatal Moscow Metro Crash

    More than one hundred Moscow commuters were still being treated for their injuries in hospital on Monday morning, just short of a week after a fatal metro derailment killed at least 23 people.