Before accident in Branson, Missouri, duck boats had history of fatalities
Duck boats – amphibious vehicles that can travel on both land and water – have a long history of fatal crashes and accidents.
Seventeen people, including at least one child, died after a Ride the Ducks craft capsized on Table Rock Lake in Missouri late Thursday. The boat, carrying a reported 31 passengers, sank as a storm lashed the lake with severe winds.
Arkansas
In 1999, 13 people died after a duck boat sank on Lake Hamilton near Hot Springs, Arkansas. Only eight of the 21 people on board survived.
The Coast Guard concluded that a dislodged drive-shaft seal allowed water to flood the hull of the Miss Majesty.
Seattle
In 2011, a motorcyclist was seriously injured after a duck boat ran over him. He survived the collision, but his arm, leg and pelvis were all crushed after he became stuck under the undercarriage and dragged into the next block, KOMO news reported.
Later that year, a duck boat rear-ended a car elsewhere in Seattle, according to information provided by Seattle-based Davis Law Group.
In 2015, five college students were killed and 69 others were injured in Seattle after a duck boat collided with a bus. Ride the Ducks International of Branson, which manufactured the Seattle boats, was fined $500,000.
Investigators from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that Ride the Ducks had manufactured the vehicles using parts of World War II-era military-surplus vehicles.
The following year, two more incidents took place in Seattle, according to Davis Law Group. In one, the driver of a duck boat reportedly did not see a car while making a wide turn and crashed into the car. In another, the driver was reportedly trying to get the duck boat out of the way of an oncoming ambulance and couldn't see the sedan in front of it.
More:Ride the Duck maker fined $500,000 after fatal Seattle crash
Philadelphia
In 2010, a barge plowed into a duck boat that had stalled in the Delaware River in Philadelphia.
Two of the 37 people on board drowned. They were 16- and 20-year-old Hungarians visiting the United States through a church exchange program.
A tug operator eventually pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, acknowledging that the accident was caused largely due to his use of a cellphone and laptop while steering the barge.
In 2015, a woman was struck and killed by a duck boat while she was crossing a street.
The duck boat operator, connected to the Branson business, suspended its tours in 2016.
Boston
In 2016, a duck boat ran over a scooter, killing a woman and injuring a man, according to the Boston Globe.
Months later, another woman was struck and seriously injured by a duck boat at another Boston intersection.
Critics say that the amphibious vehicles are dangerous because their design creates blind spots for drivers.
Ontario, Canada
In 2002, a custom-built pickup truck converted into a duck boat, the Lady Duck, sank in the Ottowa River while on a tour. According to CBC News, four passengers were trapped under the Lady Duck’s canopy and drowned, including a mother and her two young children. Six passengers, the tour guide and the driver escaped.
Liverpool, United Kingdom
In 2010, a bearing collapsed on a vehicle belonging to a tour company called The Yellow Duckmarine, causing the vehicle to crash on Duke Street. Four passengers were taken to the hospital with injuries, according to Davis Law Group.
In 2013, a Yellow Duckmarine sank near Salthouse Dock. A government investigation later found that it was "extremely fortunate" that none of the 33 passengers and crew were injured. Many were sent to the hospital, according to the Liverpool Echo.
London, United Kingdom
In 2013, London Duck Tours boat Cleopatra caught fire on the Thames River, and 30 people had to be rescued. A first responder told the BBC that one passenger found it "difficult" to get the life jackets out of their packets.
In 2005, several "Ride the Ducks" companies merged into one under the name Ride the Ducks International, LLC, according to the Missouri Secretary of State's website. Those included businesses with names that included Branson, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Memphis and San Diego. At the time, it was registered under Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation, which also operates Silver Dollar City.
Later, the business was registered under Capitol Corporate Services, Inc.
Ripley Entertainment acquired Ride the Ducks in Branson in December.
According to Branson's Ride The Ducks' website, the company operates seasonally with the "Table Rock Lake Adventure" running from March to December. There are two boarding locations — one is on the Branson Strip, the other is on the Branson Landing.
A few on social media called for reforms after Thursday night's incident near Branson.
A Twitter user named Jeremy Smith asked: "At what point can we get rid of 'Ride the Ducks' for good? how many accidents have to happen? You take a 5 ton war machine, that our veterans were forced to ride and try to turn it into an overpriced, dangerous attraction."
Contributing: The Associated Press
