A duck boat capsized on a Branson area lake killing 11 people, some of them children, County Sheriff County Doug Rader told reporters on Thursday. He said 31 people were aboard the “Ride the Ducks” boat when wind gusts upwards of 60 mph caused huge waves to slam into the vessel and capsized it, FOX4 reported.
The boat sank into the lake and reportedly remains there.
On Friday morning, divers recovered another 2 bodies thus bringing the death toll to 13. Multiple rescue teams keep searching Table Rock Lake for four other people missing.
A spokeswoman for the Cox Medical Center Branson Seven told reporters that seven people have been hospitalized after the tragedy. “Two adults were in critical condition and others were being treated for minor injuries,” she said.
The “Ride the Ducks” website says the excursion is a “70-minute guided amphibious tour that takes guests through the scenic Ozarks on both land and water.”
The first “duck tour” company was started in 1946 by Mel Flath and Bob Unger in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. It is unrelated to the accident.
Duck boats that are known for their ability to travel on land and in water, have been involved in other deadly incidents in the past. Since 1999, 37 people have been killed in duck boat accidents.
