Duck Boat Tragedy in Branson, Missouri
The Gorny Law Firm expresses its deepest sympathies to the families who lost loved ones and suffered injuries during last week’s tragic incident aboard a duck boat. I have personally ridden a duck boat and vowed never to do so again because of the numerous safety hazards on board. At the time I rode on the duck boat with my wife, daughter, and my in-laws, there were no seat belts despite the fact that the vehicle, while on land, traveled at highway speeds. When we rode the duck boat, the sides were open air providing the means for escape if an incident happened while on the water. Unfortunately, with the boat in Branson, the sides were enclosed in hard plastic leaving limited ability to escape in the event of sinking.
HISTORY OF DUCK BOAT INCIDENTS
Tragically, last week’s incident was not the first involving a duck boat. In 1999, in Hot Springs Arkansas, thirteen of twenty-one people on a duck boat died after it sank on Lake Hamilton. A problem with the vehicle’s drive shaft allowed water to flood the hull, causing the boat to sink, and once again, tragically trap those aboard.
In Seattle, where I rode a duck boat with my family, several incidents have occurred. In 2011, a duck boat crashed into a motorcyclist pinning him under the vehicle and dragging him down the road. The motorcyclist suffered significant fractures to his arm, leg, and pelvis. Also in 2011, a duck boat rear ended a car resulting in minor injuries to the passengers.
Tragically, in 2015, five college students were killed and sixteen others were injured in Seattle after a duck boat collided with a bus. That duck boat was affiliated with Ride The Ducks International of Branson, the company that owned the boat involved in last week’s tragedy. Federal agencies fined the company $500,000 after that incident.
The tragedies did not end there. In 2010, a duck boat on the Delaware River outside of Philadelphia stalled. A barge ran into the disabled duck boat. Two of the thirty-seven passengers drowned. Also in Philadelphia, a woman was struck and killed by a duck boat while crossing the street in 2015. The following year, the operator of the Philadelphia business, which was also connected to the Branson operation, suspended its tours.
Boston was also not immune from catastrophe. In 2016, a duck boat ran over a scooter. In doing so, it killed a woman rider and injured another man. Later that year, another woman was struck and seriously injured by a duck boat at an intersection.
People question why there are so many collisions involving duck boats on roadways. Engineers believe that the vehicle’s design creates blind spots for duck boat drivers making it more difficult to see than operating any regular vehicle or bus. Several incidents also occurred in Canada and United Kingdom. In those countries, they have experienced a duck boat sinking, a boat catching fire, and several crashes on roadways.
IS IT SAFE TO RIDE A DUCK BOAT?
I think that the reported collision history of duck boats outlined above signifies that there are serious safety concerns with these vehicles. If you or your family members or friends are considering riding in a duck boat, make certain to find out the intended path of travel. Specifically, is the vehicle going to travel at highway speeds? Will the amphibious portion of the tour enter deep water? Are there sufficient escape routes should a problem occur while on the water? Are life vests available and easily accessible? And, another important question concerns the canopy on the duck boat. The owners of these vehicles have been warned for years that the canopy essentially traps people in the vehicle during a sinking event. They have been warned to make the canopies easily detachable in the event that there is a problem. If you are going to ride, ask the operator if the canopy can easily be removed. Those of us at The Gorny Law Firm recommend that you get reasonable, honest answers to these questions before considering taking your loved ones for a tour on a duck boat.
