“Mass Casualty Scene” in Branson duck boat sinking

We have done many cruises and I have seen this Duck Tour option at several ports.
Never tried it but thought about it. I know this will make me more careful in choosing options, especially when we have the grandkids.
Its so awful, these poor people must have been so afraid, heartbreaking.
 
So sad. Thoughts and prayers. Hope the missing are recovered swiftly.

Haven’t riden the Ducks, yet seeing that it’s enclosed. I wouldn’t. I won’t do cruises at all for this reason. At WDW we chose 90% of the time to sit outdoor of the boat transportation enclosure. Panicked a bit when we had to sit inside. Took the first row by the doors. After this, we’ll be outside the enclosure at all times now if we go back.

Although bad weather rolled in faster then expected, bad weather was still very much predicted. Truly think every human should have Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts survival outdoor weather, knowledge of body of water weather & water temp, & body of water training.

Wonder what the lake laws, safety procedures, and dangers were for this lake i.e. mandatory life jackets on for 12 & under, possible cold shock, summer storms, flag warnings, etc.
 
So sad. Thoughts and prayers. Hope the missing are recovered swiftly.

Haven’t riden the Ducks, yet seeing that it’s enclosed. I wouldn’t. I won’t do cruises at all for this reason. At WDW we chose 90% of the time to sit outdoor of the boat transportation enclosure. Panicked a bit when we had to sit inside. Took the first row by the doors. After this, we’ll be outside the enclosure at all times now if we go back.

Although bad weather rolled in faster then expected, bad weather was still very much predicted. Truly think every human should have Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts survival outdoor weather, knowledge of body of water weather & water temp, & body of water training.

Wonder what the lake laws, safety procedures, and dangers were for this lake i.e. mandatory life jackets on for 12 & under, possible cold shock, summer storms, flag warnings, etc.

My understanding is life jackets are available for everyone. Water temps would have been mid 80’s. So, definitely survivable assuming you had your jacket on, got OUT of the boat, and avoided the prop.
 


It never ceases to amaze me to watch boaters on our lake either head out or stay out after it's clear a storm is coming. Happens every.single.time. I live on the lake. I see it. Boating rule number one: don't be out on the lake when a storm is coming. If you see and hear lightening, get off. Period. Full stop. I don't get it. Is that extra few minutes "worth it?"
 
It never ceases to amaze me to watch boaters on our lake either head out or stay out after it's clear a storm is coming. Happens every.single.time. I live on the lake. I see it. Boating rule number one: don't be out on the lake when a storm is coming. If you see and hear lightening, get off. Period. Full stop. I don't get it. Is that extra few minutes "worth it?"

I was with a group of boats in May trapped at a waterfront restaurant with a storm bearing down on us & another 20 miles left to our destination. We were concerned by the time the storm passed, we wouldn’t have enough daylight to finish the run. 2 boats from our group tore out straight into the storm & 1 ended up running aground. Thankfully, no injuries or damage. But, I have no idea what they were thinking.
 
I was with a group of boats in May trapped at a waterfront restaurant with a storm bearing down on us & another 20 miles left to our destination. We were concerned by the time the storm passed, we wouldn’t have enough daylight to finish the run. 2 boats from our group tore out straight into the storm & 1 ended up running aground. Thankfully, no injuries or damage. But, I have no idea what they were thinking.
Whenever we're at the Lake of the Ozarks we keep an eye out for storms by looking at the sky and the radar on our phones (which thankfully more cell towers have led to better cell phone reception to where we are normally at).

We've had to call swimming quits early a few times because storms were rolling in and we wanted to get back to the place we were staying at before it hit. I remember 1 weekend we barely got any swimming in because it was a stormy/rainy weekend.

We're careful too when it comes to daylight. No way would we personally want to risk it at night. Sure you have your lights but especially out in the main channel with not having a yacht (so your boat is tossed around a lot more in the wakes made throughout the day) and cliffs nearby it's ridiculous hard to see at night. Sometimes I would sit out in the balcony at night of the condo we stayed at listening/partially seeing the boats go by and hoping they made it back safe.

*My condolences for the relatives of your friend lost to a boating incident :(
 


11 dead and 5 missing, we are in Springfield just north, the line was moving at 50-60 mph. Have never rode in one, we often joke about it but the incidents over the last decade with them have always make me skeptical, I have no other words :-(
Live in Springfield too. Storm came up FAST. One of my chickens went airborne before I could get her into coop. No loss of power at my place thankfully.
I don't mean to sound like I'm assigning blame, but at what point would it have been better to issue a mayday, have everyone put on life vests and exit the bus/boat? They had to understand that if the vehicle went down it would trap everyone.
. As bad as the waves were and as close as the boat was to the other boats I wonder if it would have been safer or not...horrible tragedy all around. Also I believe these boats can’t just dock any where or exit just anywhere due to being amphibious?

Whenever we're at the Lake of the Ozarks we keep an eye out for storms by looking at the sky and the radar on our phones (which thankfully more cell towers have led to better cell phone reception to where we are normally at).

We've had to call swimming quits early a few times because storms were rolling in and we wanted to get back to the place we were staying at before it hit. I remember 1 weekend we barely got any swimming in because it was a stormy/rainy weekend.

We're careful too when it comes to daylight. No way would we personally want to risk it at night. Sure you have your lights but especially out in the main channel with not having a yacht (so your boat is tossed around a lot more in the wakes made throughout the day) and cliffs nearby it's ridiculous hard to see at night. Sometimes I would sit out in the balcony at night of the condo we stayed at listening/partially seeing the boats go by and hoping they made it back safe.

*My condolences for the relatives of your friend lost to a boating incident :(
Headed to Lake Ozark this weekend. Have seen so much reckless boating, and agree the yachts are the worst-young arrogant drivers with zero boating experience means we only go out on weekday mornings when calm.

SO sorry Gumbo for your friends relatives.
 
Oh those poor people and their families. Just awful!

I'm never going to get on 1 of those things.
 
Headed to Lake Ozark this weekend. Have seen so much reckless boating, and agree the yachts are the worst-young arrogant drivers with zero boating experience means we only go out on weekday mornings when calm.
It can get pretty rough with the in-law's boat. I can't remember if it was a 21ft or 23ft but there are times of the day where it's a lost cause trying to get out there between the yachts, the cigarette boats, etc.

If we can get up early we do try and do an early morning ride (between 7 and 8) because the water is soooo calm at that point though we're there on the weekends.

*On a side note Facebook reminded me that 10 years ago today I was in Branson (though I was going to Silver Dollar City) **shudders**
 
We rode a Duck over in WI Dells and these amphibious car and land vehicles are from WWII. So if they were made in the 40's, they are very old. I do not know if age had anything to do with what happened, so sad.

We did a Duck tour last Fall in Wisconsin Dells. I rode on the last seat in the back became sick with the diesel fuel exhaust. When we went from the road into the lake, the boat rocks backwards and forwards, not side to side and a ton of water came into the boat from the back. My pants and shoes were wet from my knees down to my shoes. When we all got off, we all said, "Ah, fresh air".

I was talking with my husband about the accident, and he said the boats do not rock from side to side, but from stern to mass. This was why the boat filled up with water and then emptied back out. The boat probably took on water so fast, no one had a chance to get to the life vests.
 
I didn't know what a duck boat was when I saw this thread and heard about this accident. I looked it up. Honestly, it looks like a death trap, whether on land or water, and I would never get in one. It looks like a floating school bus. What a horrible tragedy this was.
 
Local news had a video of people on the Branson Belle (a show boat) with people videoing the 2 boats out in the 60MPH winds and man were those waters really rough. That image of that for those people out there I don't imagine will go away any time soon.
 
Our news tonight reported that there was another boat behind that one that got out of the water.

I've been on them quite a bit (not the Branson ones). They do make me nervous when they go in the water. Here they let kids drive them when they're in the water.
 
There was only about 20-30 seconds from the point it began to take on water to the point it capsized. But yes, I believe if people could have abandoned the boat with life jackets on, their chances would have been greater.

On the blame front, I saw an account from a boater who claims to have seen at least one duck launching well after the storm sirens went off (and well after they had beat it to land in their own personal boat knowing the storms were coming). It may or may not have been the one that sank. By all accounts, it seems the one that made it to shore was originally behind the one that didn’t.

I’ll have to go back and look for it, but a severe storm warning was issued 20-30 minutes before the boat capsized. Certainly long enough to get everyone a life jacket. Those types of storm warnings are audibly transmitted over marine radios. I would think the Duck Boats would have to have their radios on to receive weather alerts when they are going in the water for a situation just like this.
 
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