2018 — July 19, Duck Boat sinks in storm, Table Rock Lake, near Branson, MO — 17

–17  KWCH/AP/KY3.“17 killed in Table Rock Lake Duck boat accident identified.” 7-21-2018.

–17  NYT/Fortin. “17 Dead After Duck Boat Capsizes Near Branson, Missouri.” 7-19-2018.

–17  STL Post-Dispatch. “Amid storm warnings…17 die — 9 from one family.” 7-20-2018.

 

Narrative Information

 

July 19, NYT: “Seventeen people were killed Thursday night when a tourist boat capsized in a southern Missouri lake as powerful thunderstorms passed through the Midwest, the authorities said on Friday.

 

“The amphibious boat, or duck boat,[1] overturned in Table Rock Lake near Branson, Mo., around 7 p.m. as winds exceeded 60 miles per hour. Cellphone video from a witness showed the boat taking on water and struggling to move as it was being pummeled with powerful waves before it sank.

 

“The boat had 31 people on board when it sank to the bottom of the lake, all of whom are now accounted for, the authorities said. Seven people, including three children, were taken to a hospital, Cox Medical Center Branson, and two of them, both adults, were in critical condition, the hospital said on Friday.

 

“Divers recovered the final six bodies on Friday morning, bringing the death toll to 17 and making it one of the deadliest duck boat accidents in United States history. Thirteen people were killed when a duck boat sank in Hot Springs, Ark., in May 1999.

 

“Some of the dead were children. A sheriff’s deputy was on the scene when the accident happened and assisted in the rescue, Sheriff Doug Rader said. Divers searched for survivors until 11:30 p.m. and returned to the lake on Friday morning with members of the Missouri Highway Patrol to resume those efforts. They located the sunken boat shortly after.

 

“There were two duck boats on the water during the storm, and both were returning to land at the time of the accident. “The first one made it out, and the second one didn’t,” Sheriff Rader said, adding that strong winds, which were part of a storm system that passed across much of the Midwest, caused the boat to capsize.

 

“The boat that sank had life jackets, but the sheriff said he did not know if people were wearing them. Of the 31 people on the boat, 29 were passengers and two were crew members. The boat’s captain, who had 16 years of experience on the lake, survived and was taken to a hospital, but the other crew member, who was described as the driver, died, the authorities said.” (Fortin, Jacey, Julia Jacobs and Matthew Haag. “17 Dead After Duck Boat Capsizes Near Branson, Missouri.” 7-19-2018. New York Times, 7-19-2018.)

 

July 20 STL Post-Dispatch: “Near Branson, Mo.  Nine members of one family were killed after a tourist boat capsized on Table Rock Lake Thursday as a powerful storm moved through the area, Governor Mike Parson’s office said. Eleven members of one family were on board and only two survived, including a 13-year-old.

 

“Sgt. Jason Pace of the Highway Patrol said the victims ranged from children, possibly as young as 1 year old, to elderly….” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Kurt Erickson and Kim Bell). “Amid storm warnings and whitecaps, 17 die — 9 from one family — when boat capsized on Table Rock Lake.” 7-20-2018.)

 

July 21: “Branson, MO (KWCH/AP/KY3) Authorities in Missouri have released the names of all 17 people killed when a duck boat capsized Thursday evening. They are

 

William Asher (69),                [St. Louis area]

Rosemarie Hamann (68),        [St. Louis area]

Janice Bright (63),                  [Higginsville, MO]

William Bright (65),               [Higginsville, MO]

Leslie Dennison (64),[2]                        [Sherrard IL]

Bob Williams (73),                 [boat driver]

Lance Smith (15),

Steve Smith (53).

 

There were also nine people killed from the same family, they are

 

Angela (45),

Arya (1),

Belinda (69),

Ervin (76), Evan (7), Glenn (40), Horace (70), Maxwell (2) and Reece (9) Coleman of Indiana.                            [Indianapolis]

 

“….The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says it may be a year before it issues its official probable cause analysis in the sinking of a duck boat at Table Rock Lake. The organization confirmed 16 passengers and one crew member died in the amphibious boat owned by Ride the Ducks Branson went under water….

 

“Thirty-one people were onboard the boat when it sank….

 

(KWCH/AP/KY3.“17 killed in Table Rock Lake Duck boat accident identified.” 7-21-2018.)

 

Sources

 

KWCH/AP/KY3.“17 killed in Table Rock Lake Duck boat accident identified.” 7-21-2018. Accessed 7-21-2018 at: http://www.kwch.com/content/news/Several-fatalities-confirmed-in-a-duck-boat-crash-at-Table-Rock-Lake-488683181.html

 

New York Times (Jacey Fortin, Jacey, Julia Jacobs and Matthew Haag). “17 Dead After Duck Boat Capsizes Near Branson, Missouri.” 7-19-2018. 7-19-2018. Accessed 7-20-2018 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/19/us/branson-boat-capsize-missouri.html

 

St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Kurt Erickson and Kim Bell). “Amid storm warnings and whitecaps, 17 die — 9 from one family — when boat capsized on Table Rock Lake.” 7-20-2018. Accessed 7-20-2018 at: https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/state-and-regional/amid-storm-warnings-and-whitecaps-die-from-one-family-when/article_0e45c854-00d4-5553-b208-118f290a26ab.html

 

Wikipedia. “DUKW,” 7-21-2018 edit. Accessed 7-21-2018 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DUKW

 

 

 

 

[1] Duck boats had their start in World War II as “a six-wheel-drive amphibious modification of the 2½ ton CCKW trucks. The term stands for Designed in 1942, Utility, K (all-wheel drive), W (Dual-Tandem rear axles.” (Wikipedia. “DUKW,” 7-21-2018 edit.)

[2] This article notes that her granddaughter credits her grandmother (Leslie Dennison) saved her live by pushing her up from below as the boat went down.