Amphibious Vehicle Capsizes in Missouri

[Lisafer]

We just heard on the police scanner that one of the amphibious vehicles ("Ducks") used for tourism on Table Rock Lake in Missouri (close to where we live) sank due to weather conditions. They're saying 20-30 people on board and at least 6 already dead. 

I am so sad. This will be devastating for our community and the people involved. 

Not much news as of yet--been following it on the scanner app. A severe storm came up quite suddenly and I guess the boat couldn't take the choppy water. 

[RosyDaisy]

31 passengers on board. 8 dead and 7 injured.

http://www.ky3.com/content/news/Emergency-crews-work-incident-involving-amphibious-boat-on-Table-Rock-Lake-488679201.html

 

 

[Lisafer]

We are now up to 11 confirmed dead and I think at least 6 missing. Children died. I'm crying for those people and their families.

[clueliss]

This morning it is up to 13.  

[WiseGirl]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44895391

So sad up to 17. 

[zeebaneighba]

19 hours ago, Lisafer said:

We just heard on the police scanner that one of the amphibious vehicles ("Ducks") used for tourism on Table Rock Lake in Missouri (close to where we live) sank due to weather conditions. They're saying 20-30 people on board and at least 6 already dead. 

I am so sad. This will be devastating for our community and the people involved. 

Not much news as of yet--been following it on the scanner app. A severe storm came up quite suddenly and I guess the boat couldn't take the choppy water. 

I've been following this.  It wasn't a sudden storm.  There was a severe thunderstorm warning issued a half hour before they went out that lasted for a full hour,  It was incredibly poor judgement on the operators part.

[Lisafer]

11 minutes ago, zeebaneighba said:

I've been following this.  It wasn't a sudden storm.  There was a severe thunderstorm warning issued a half hour before they went out that lasted for a full hour,  It was incredibly poor judgement on the operators part.

The weather here is quite unpredictable. Even when a storm warning is issued, the storms can be remarkably localized. I've lived here for years, and the storm came on VERY suddenly. I think it's far too soon to blame the operator of the vehicle, who was a well-known and respected driver and member of the community. 

More regulations are probably needed for these vehicles, and I'm sure more rules will be put in place after the investigation. But to blame the operator at this point is uncalled for. 

I'm shaking typing this. This is a fucking tragedy and there's no need to start pointing fingers at the driver who probably followed every protocol he was given. ETA: his body was one of the last recovered from the lake.

[Briefly]

It's been a major news story in the Tulsa area, I guess it is everywhere but Branson is close enough that quite a few people from this area go there.  It's really sad.  17 people confirmed to have died.

[Lisafer]

9 minutes ago, Briefly said:

It's been a major news story in the Tulsa area, I guess it is everywhere but Branson is close enough that quite a few people from this area go there.  It's really sad.  17 people confirmed to have died.

Oh, are you out around Tulsa area? I've been to Tulsa once and quite liked it, except for missing the hills of course. Seemed like a nice city. We do get tons of tourists from Oklahoma.

[unsafetydancer]

This is so sad. I got a ride in one of these things in London and it was really fun. So sad that some people went for a fun day out and didn't come home. 

[RosyDaisy]

Never, ever be on the water during a thunderstorm. That storm didn't pop up out of nowhere. It had a history of producing damage. The owner of the company should have known better and be held accountable.

[Lisafer]

I'm glad that all the government people and leaders in town today are treating the situation with respect and compassion for all involved. The governor made a statement and asked people to please refrain from judgment on the situation as it stands. The investigation will take a while, I'm sure. I've never personally ridden one of these vehicles and I don't think I ever will. 

I've got to step away from this thread for a little bit, it's just too raw. This area is my home and, even though I bitch about Branson all the time, the sadness is real for those of us that live here. We're small town people here and a tragedy hits everybody in one way or another.

[Lisafer]

I just wanted to correct what I said about the driver passing away. The one who passed was the land driver; the one who survived was the one steering in the water. Since the company was purchased a year ago, that's how they've been running the vehicles, switching drivers when they enter the lake. Apologies for that mistake.

[Briefly]

I read a story on one of our local news websites (Tulsa, not Branson) and a passenger has supposedly said that they were told the weather was going to be bad soon so that the boat company decided to do the water part of their tour first so they could get it done and over before the storm hit, and then the land part would have been second.  Apparently, the land part of the tour is usually done first, and then the weather changed faster than they expected.  Sad, sad, sad.

On 7/20/2018 at 5:46 PM, Lisafer said:

Oh, are you out around Tulsa area? I've been to Tulsa once and quite liked it, except for missing the hills of course. Seemed like a nice city. We do get tons of tourists from Oklahoma.

I sent you a message a few minutes ago.  Yes, there are a lot of people from this area that go to Branson.

[Clairice]

This is just so awful. I am so sorry for the families of those who have died.

We had similar ducks in the Albert dock in Liverpool up till a couple of years ago until one sank. Fortunately there were no serious injuries on that occasion.