August 21, 2018

Page 1

THE STANDARD M I S S O U R I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

VOLUME 112, ISSUE 1 | THE-STANDARD.ORG The Standard/The Standard Sports

TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2018

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NTSB releases initial report on duck boat accident CONNOR WILSON Staff Reporter @Connor4Wilson

NINA TODEA/THE STANDARD

The windows at Ride the Ducks in Branson, Missouri, remain a memorial site for the 17 victims of the July 19, 2018 tragedy. A brief notice on the window says Ride the Ducks, in respect to those affected by the tragedy, will “not be open today.”

A duck boat on Table Rock Lake sank approximately 70 feet to the bottom of the lake on July 19. It was carrying 31 people — 17 died. Owned and operated by Ride the Ducks Branson, the duck boat — named Stretch Duck 7 — sank at 7:05 p.m. according to the preliminary report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board. Local forecasts issued warnings for thunderstorms, and wind speeds over 70 mph were encountered by a nearby vessel. The probable cause for why it sank, as well as why it was on the lake, has yet to be made public officially. Stretch Duck 7 was a Coast Guard-inspected passenger vessel. Local first responders found the victims and transported the survivors to local hospitals. The Coast Guard declared the accident a major marine casualty, and the NTSB is currently the lead federal investigative agency. The NTSB has investigated other amphibious vessel accidents, including the sinking of the boat Miss Majestic near Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1999. In the 1999 investigation, the NTSB identified vehicle maintenance, Coast Guard inspections, u See REPORT, page 2

ONE MONTH AFTER TRAGEDY In Branson, the show must go on — but not without tribute NINA TODEA Life Editor @Todea_NinaM If you drive down West 76 Country Boulevard in Branson, you’ll pass by dozens of theaters and tourist getaways. Each lot teems with cars and giddy children, but one lot remains silent. Colorful flower petals stir in the rush of traffic, and stuffed animals, candles and more just about spill off the edge of the curb. A mother and her ado-

lescent son hold hands as they share a solemn moment next to the memorial. Behind them, doors remain closed, and windows are plastered with official condolences; Ride the Ducks is frozen in time. The duck boat tragedy of July 19 that took the lives of 17 people may be easy for some to forget. In Branson, roughly a month after the community held a candlelight vigil for the victims, the show goes on — but not without tribute. u See RECOVERY, page 4

NINA TODEA/ THE STANDARD

The windows at Ride the Ducks in Branson, Missouri, remain a memorial site for the 17 victims of the July 19, 2018, tragedy.

Multiple lawsuits filed against Ride the Ducks Branson AFTON HARPER Staff Reporter @affie888 On July 19, 17 people were killed when a Ride the Ducks boat sank on Table Rock Lake in Branson. The boat held 29 passengers and two crew members when it sank during a severe thunderstorm warning. There are currently four civil suits filed relating to the duck boat incident. The defendants in the suits include Ripley Entertainment, Ride the Ducks International, LLC, Ride the Ducks of Branson, LLC, Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation and Amphibious Vehicle Manufacturing, LLC. The charges listed on the first lawsuit include negligence, strict liability, punitive damages, wrongful death and violation of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. The first suit states: “Missouri Revised Statute 407.010, the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (or “MMPA”), makes unlawful the ‘act, use or employment by any person of any deception, fraud, false pretense, false promise, misrepresentation, unfair practice or the concealment, suppression, or omission of any material fact in connection with the sale or advertisement of any merchandise in trade or commerce.’”

“We would like to see this particular configuration of a duck boat be banned because it is not safe.” - Greg Aleshire The suit said that the company violated the act by “designing, assembling, manufacturing, selling, supplying, and distributing Duck boats that were insufficient and/or unsafe for their intended use.” Ripley Entertainment is the current parent company of Ride the Ducks in Branson, as of December 2017. Herschend Family Entertainment formerly owned Ride the Ducks and now owns various amusement and water parks, including Silver Dollar City and White Water. Amphibious Vehicle Manufacturing produced the duck boat involved in the accident. The Coleman family, from Indiana, filed the first two suits. Gregory Harris, an employee of the Branson Belle, rescued passengers out of the water. He is now suing Ripley Entertainment, Ride the Ducks International and the duck boat driver Kenneth Scott McKee, for damages. Greg Aleshire, the attorney representing John Coleman, Lisa

Berry and Marlo Rose, said that his clients don’t want to see this kind of accident happen to anyone else. Aleshire said there were multiple issues that led to this accident — this was not the first reported accident involving a duck boat. An example Aleshire mentioned was the loss of the Miss Majestic in 1999 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, where 13 people died. Aleshire said these particular duck boat configurations — with canopies and side curtains — are dangerous for passengers. “Then, the design and structure of the duck boats did not lend themselves to being on the water, and certainly not being on the water when there is inclimate weather,” Aleshire said. “You also have these canopies that were added to the duck boats, and then on top of that, you have got these side windows or side curtains that are lowered when there is weather and, unfortunately, that just makes them a death trap.” Duck boats tend to fall through the cracks when it comes to regulation, Aleshire said. The manufacturing of duck boats is not as regulated as pleasure crafts, such as a family fiberglass boat. The Coast Guard does periodically inspect them for maintenance purposes but can only make recommendations; the manufacturer is not legally required to make such changes. Aleshire said this is why his clients’ goal is a full ban on these vehicle configurations. u See LAWSUITS, page 2

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More coverage of Ride the Ducks Branson tragedy Page 2

Music department gets new pianos Page 4

Track runner joins soccer, becomes dual sport athlete Page 6


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