MO: More than 13 dead after "DUCK" boat sinking on Table Rock Lake

[angelatc]

From pics, it looks like it is not permanent, more like a curtain that goes up and down.

Also billowed a lot, which is why I thought it was thin.

[angelatc]

Ya but on a lake land is every direction.. the closest land, or the area they were trying to get back to seemed to be directly into the wind.

I'll have to refer to AF on this one, I do know that ship captains tend to direct their ships into the wind to take on open ocean swells.. but I would think they may have been able to angle over to another part of the lake shore that wasn't directly into the wind.

For perspective, the video was taken from a restaurant on the edge of the water. You can see diners in the reflection.

[pcosmar]

From pics, it looks like it is not permanent, more like a curtain that goes up and down.

Historic Tours ran some in Key West,, Wash DC, San Diego....
I think they had Boston too at one time,, But Key West had problems (political) and discontinued I believe.

[Suzanimal]

Just heartbreaking. Everyone in this photo died except the woman on the left and the boy on the right.


I noticed Stone Mountain Park suspended the Duck boats. I'm not sure if they changed the route but when we rode them (years and years ago) they didn't really go through much water. It was pretty lame. They stayed mostly on land and only crossed the lake (if you want to call it that, it's tiny) in two narrow spots. We were probably only on water for 10 minutes out of the whole ride. The park rents row boats (no motorized boats on the "lake"), they have a Riverboat that does cruises, and they have a ferry shuffling people to and fro the campgrounds. Too much traffic on that small "lake" to have Ducks in the way, I guess.

‘I’m just lost’: Relatives talk about losing 9 family members in duck boat accident

A metro Atlanta man spoke to Channel 2 Action News about losing nine of his relative in a duck boat accident on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo. Thursday night.

“I’m just lost. I don’t know. I can’t place it. I can’t imagine it,” Gary Coleman told Channel 2. “We’ve had a death in the family — one or two. Not a whole family at one time.”

...

Early Thursday, he released a photo of eight of the relatives who died in the accident. Gary Coleman said everyone in the photo except for the woman on the far left, Tia, and the teenage boy on the far right, Donovan, died in the accident, according to Channel 2.

“I’ve just been looking at this picture all day,” he told the news station.

RELATED: Stone Mountain Park suspends duck boats after Missouri tragedy

The family is from Indianapolis. Gary said the deceased include two of his brothers, Butch and Ray, his niece Angela, his nephew Glen and his grand-nephews Maxwell and Reese. Butch’s wife, Belinda, also died, as did two young children, who Gary Coleman didn’t name.

Tia and Donovan Coleman were the two survivors.

The accident killed 17 people and injured 14 when the boat capsized after a strong line of thunderstorms moved through the area about 7 p.m. Thursday.

Officials said the victims range in age from 1 to 70 years old.

Gary and Carolyn Coleman question why the boat went out at all.

“My biggest question is why did that boat go out? They had thunderstorm warning all day coming through Kansas and Missouri,” Gary Coleman said.

Though the loss of nine family members is devastating, they’re trying to find solace through their faith.

...


https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-ne...UB9H11AZq94mO/

[Schifference]

Just watched the video.

I have been out in waters much rougher than this.

Very bad judgement on part of tour company and passengers. There was plenty of time to make adjustments.

First thing should have been to get a life jacket and be prepared to get off the boat.
Second move to the back so the front would be higher and able to deal with the oncoming waves.
If I was a passenger on that boat I would have jumped off with my family. The shore is an easy swim. It is not like they are in the middle of the ocean.
If the captain or whatever you call a person driving that apparatus was not capable of handling his craft in those circumstances he should have told people to put on a life jacket and get off the boat. An responsible person would have seen that the captain was not competent to handle the craft and would have gotten off.

[acptulsa]

Is the boat that is taking on water at the end the boat that sank? It looks like the "windows" are plastic sheeting. If you were there, at what point would you have told people to get out?

It's not a boat. It's a duck. It's a WWII amphibian. It's as much truck as boat.

That's why it's so lacking in seaworthiness. It tries to be two different things, and it's not very good at either one.

[angelatc]

“My biggest question is why did that boat go out? They had thunderstorm warning all day coming through Kansas and Missouri,” Gary Coleman said.

Because the captain has bills to pay? I've seen locals saying that they've never seen the lake so rough. It wasn't just a thunderstorm it was a freak storm.

[Danke]

Missouri duck boat survivor says captain told passengers 'not to worry about life jackets'

Grieving – a whole community is grieving after the death of 17 people in the boat accident in Missouri – including nine from one family (Picture: AP)A survivor of the Missouri tourist boat accident who lost nine relatives in the tragedy has claimed the captain told passengers not to bother grabbing life jackets.
Tia Coleman said she and a nephew were the only survivors of their 11 member family group who were aboard the duck boat.
Seventeen people died when the pleasure cruise went down, with divers finding the final four bodies on Friday in Table Rock Lake, near Branson.
Coleman told an Indianapolis television station that she lost all of her children in the accident, which is the deadliest of its kind in nearly two decades.

Tributes – people have paid tribute to the 17 people who lost their lives in the accident (Picture: AP)She said: “The captain told us ‘Don’t worry about grabbing the life jackets, you won’t need them,’ so nobody grabbed them because we listened to the captain and he told us to stay seated.

[oyarde]

Just watched the video.

I have been out in waters much rougher than this.

Very bad judgement on part of tour company and passengers. There was plenty of time to make adjustments.

First thing should have been to get a life jacket and be prepared to get off the boat.
Second move to the back so the front would be higher and able to deal with the oncoming waves.
If I was a passenger on that boat I would have jumped off with my family. The shore is an easy swim. It is not like they are in the middle of the ocean.
If the captain or whatever you call a person driving that apparatus was not capable of handling his craft in those circumstances he should have told people to put on a life jacket and get off the boat. An responsible person would have seen that the captain was not competent to handle the craft and would have gotten off.

Two bucks says the driver told them not to worry .

[oyarde]

Because the captain has bills to pay? I've seen locals saying that they've never seen the lake so rough. It wasn't just a thunderstorm it was a freak storm.

Going by reported wind velocity I would say yes it was a freak storm .

[oyarde]

Just heartbreaking. Everyone in this photo died except the woman on the left and the boy on the right.


I noticed Stone Mountain Park suspended the Duck boats. I'm not sure if they changed the route but when we rode them (years and years ago) they didn't really go through much water. It was pretty lame. They stayed mostly on land and only crossed the lake (if you want to call it that, it's tiny) in two narrow spots. We were probably only on water for 10 minutes out of the whole ride. The park rents row boats (no motorized boats on the "lake"), they have a Riverboat that does cruises, and they have a ferry shuffling people to and fro the campgrounds. Too much traffic on that small "lake" to have Ducks in the way, I guess.

Probably nobody should drown in a pond if one of those capsizes , but yeah if they rent jon boats and paddle boats they probably do not need the traffic .

[pcosmar]

Because the captain has bills to pay?

Captain will be reassessing the situation. and answering questions,, Driver went down with it.

[Schifference]

[Schifference]

[RJB]

Going by reported wind velocity I would say yes it was a freak storm .

I lived in Missouri (tornado alley). Pretty much everyday in summer you have a chance of hit or miss storms. It was a freak tragedy. There have been tons of times I went out in the woods with a chance of a tornadoes and they never hit and I had the time of my life. Another time I was on the mighty Missouri River and there were no storms in the forecast and we got hit hard by a sudden storm- it was a bit scary but I still had the time of my life. These Midwestern storms aren't hurricanes that are on the radar for weeks. A lot of times they are pop up storms that appear and disappear in minutes and then it's sunny again.

BTW I am in agreement with you. Sorry if it sounds like I am preaching to the choir.

[Danke]

@AF


Do large boats ever go with the waves (if they are huge) instead of into them?

[Anti Federalist]

@AF

Do large boats ever go with the waves (if they are huge) instead of into them?

@Danke

No, you almost universally want to head into the wind and seas, as much as practically possible and depending on severity. Obviously a 1000 foot tanker does not need to head upsea in 3 foot seas to protect itself. But in a 150 knot hurricane and 40 to 50 foot seas, yes, it would. The inability to hold the bow into the weather, due to engine failure, was what sunk the El Faro.

In the final moments before capsizing and sinking, it looks like the heading fell off, the vessel got sideways (in "the trough") and took on water, which was the end of course.

In one of the best novels of the 20th century, one of the very best sea stories ever written, and my particular favorite novel, the entire plot all hinges on this very question.

The Caine Mutiny.

While there never was a USS Caine or Capt. Queeq, the storm and loss of ships in a violent typhoon that Wouk references in the novel was very real.

Typhoon Cobra

[pcosmar]

In the final moments before capsizing and sinking, it looks like the heading fell off, the vessel got sideways (in "the trough") and took on water, which was the end of course.

Observation..
it seemed from the prop wash that the engine or power faltered,, and shortly after it seemed taking water..

Engine trouble..Bilge failure,, is my best guess..

but it seems there were several bad decisions combined to this tragedy.

[Schifference]

I don't think any bilge pump could keep up. Too much weight in the front of the boat.

[acptulsa]

@AF


Do large boats ever go with the waves (if they are huge) instead of into them?

If you get sideways, the boat is rocked severely. A rudder is what you use to maintain heading. A rudder only works when you're moving. You knew all of that.

The problem with running with the waves instead of against them is you can easily wind up running the same speed as the current. Then you aren't moving with respect to the water, and your rudder doesn't work at all. Even if you outrun the current (nowhere near as easy as outrunning a tailwind, but usually possible), the flow over the rudder isn't as strong as when you're running into the current--and with waves trying to turn you sideways (because of gravity trying to pull the bow or stern down off the wave) you need all the rudder action you can get.

[Anti Federalist]

Turns out they had a limitation on the COI (Certificate of Inspection - the required inspection documents and class of vessel description, required for all passenger vessels on US navigable waters carrying more than 6 passengers) restricting them from operating in weather conditions over 35 knots (the AP story says 35 MPH, but no vessel COI would be rated in MPH, it would be in knots) of wind and 2 (!) foot seas.

If there was plenty of prior warning of weather conditions well beyond the COI's limitations prior to departure, the captain and company are $#@!ed.

It also paints a very clear picture of how limited the seaworthiness of these things are.


Coast Guard document: Tourist boat violated inspection terms

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/08/01...ion-terms.html

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS – A certificate of inspection for the Missouri tourist boat that sank last month, killing 17 people, shows that it was on the lake at a time when the wind speed far exceeded allowable limits.

The Coast Guard on Wednesday announced it has convened a formal Marine Board of Investigation into the accident involving a Ride the Ducks of Branson boat. The vessel sank July 19 at Table Rock Lake.

The lake was calm when the excursion began, but weather turned violent and the boat sank within minutes.

The Coast Guard's certificate of inspection issued in 2017 prohibited the boat from being on water if winds exceed 35 mph or wave height exceeds 2 feet.

Investigators said the wind speed at the time of the accident was more than 70 mph.

[Danke]

I've said before and I'll say it again. If you don't value your life go ahead and get on some transportation that is not backed by the Union. A union that demands safety and can't get fired for refusing a dangerous situation.

[oyarde]

Turns out they had a limitation on the COI (Certificate of Inspection - the required inspection documents and class of vessel description, required for all passenger vessels on US navigable waters carrying more than 6 passengers) restricting them from operating in weather conditions over 35 knots (the AP story says 35 MPH, but no vessel COI would be rated in MPH, it would be in knots) of wind and 2 (!) foot seas.

If there was plenty of prior warning of weather conditions well beyond the COI's limitations prior to departure, the captain and company are $#@!ed.

It also paints a very clear picture of how limited the seaworthiness of these things are.


Coast Guard document: Tourist boat violated inspection terms

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/08/01...ion-terms.html

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS – A certificate of inspection for the Missouri tourist boat that sank last month, killing 17 people, shows that it was on the lake at a time when the wind speed far exceeded allowable limits.

The Coast Guard on Wednesday announced it has convened a formal Marine Board of Investigation into the accident involving a Ride the Ducks of Branson boat. The vessel sank July 19 at Table Rock Lake.

The lake was calm when the excursion began, but weather turned violent and the boat sank within minutes.

The Coast Guard's certificate of inspection issued in 2017 prohibited the boat from being on water if winds exceed 35 mph or wave height exceeds 2 feet.

Investigators said the wind speed at the time of the accident was more than 70 mph.

That is less sea worthy than my 12 foot Jon boat

[pcosmar]

I've said before and I'll say it again. If you don't value your life go ahead and get on some transportation that is not backed by the Union. A union that demands safety and can't get fired for refusing a dangerous situation.

A lot of people have ridden on my non union welds.

But I will agree,, all tour companies are not the same..

Historic Tours of America had a good safety record,, It was company practice and common practice of those working there.

I rode the stuff I built.. and have heard of no failures. Nice folks to work for too.

Some of my work,