Duck boat tragedy "storm came out of nowhere" BS

[PILOON]

All I can ask is did anyone put their life jackets on? It goes both ways...you have to be responsible for yourself as well. Those PFD's by law have to be easily accessible on charter type boats. Or maybe the windows and top prevented exit? I can say that if I were in heavy weather conditions my PFD would be on and no one would be telling me to do it. Did the crew do nothing?

Heard an interview where a survivor said the captain told them to stay seated and not put life jackets on.
Also note that there were side curtains or windows all around so escape was near impossible.
Video also shows that there was a roof overhead.
All in all about same as being trapped under deck.

 

[k0ua]

Are the "new" or "modified" ducks just made bigger to hold more people? I don't remember the WI Dells ducks holding that many people.

Thats a good question. I see the newer ones, have a modified design, They look a bit different with a shorter nose. From what I understand they are all new. This was an 1944 model. But I don't think that had much to do with it. Originally the DUKW was designed to hold 24 troops. Of course this would have included their gear. The 31 aboard including captain and driver of course would not have had any gear. BUT there is the canopy, the sound system and the plastic roll down window skirting, the ladder. It all adds weight. Whether they would be considerend overloaded, I don't know. But I imagine they were "fully loaded" in any case.

But I still contend the major problem is not one of design or even loading. The major problem is someone did not check the weather forecast and decide to go or no go out on the lake. I would not have went on the lake knowing what was coming.

 

[k0ua]

Heard an interview where a survivor said the captain told them to stay seated and not put life jackets on.
Also note that there were side curtains or windows all around so escape was near impossible.
Video also shows that there was a roof overhead.
All in all about same as being trapped under deck.

Yep. not a good situation.

 

[4570Man]

I haven’t seen a picture of the boat in question but if it actually had all 5 sides closed in wouldn’t the life vests in question have been between useless and worse than not having them?

 

[k0ua]

I haven’t seen a picture of the boat in question but if it actually had all 5 sides closed in wouldn’t the life vests in question have been between useless and worse than not having them?

The rain covers probably didn't help. They unroll and are velcro'd down as I understand it. The windshield is supposed to fold down, but how long that takes and how hard that that is to do, I don't know. The rear is the normal ingress and egress route.

Ride The Ducks of Branson - 218 All You Need to Know Before You Go (with Photos) - TripAdvisor

 

[MossRoad]

The rear has a ladder/steps that folds up (the one's we were on it Pittsburgh used a little winch). If there's a canopy and side curtains, the rear would be very congested with 30 people trying to push through.

One thing I've always noticed on the duck rides is how low in the water these things ride, and I've always thought that a large wave could wash over them very easily. Plus, they are very slow in the water, and they do not maneuver all that quickly. I'd always been on them in lakes. The ones in Pittsburgh go out into the rivers. Moving water is a whole nuther animal.

 

[ruffdog]

This article has information about what a private investigator found last august and the warning he gave to the company....good article.

Duck boat accident: Inspector warned Missouri company of design flaws last year - CBS News

 

[kenmac]

The insurance pays off and the company files for Bankruptcy to keep from losing more money. Soon after, they start a new business in a different name

 

[goeduck]

Ride the Bucks

 

[ruffdog]

The insurance pays off and the company files for Bankruptcy to keep from losing more money. Soon after, they start a new business in a different name

Or, the company is a LLC......Limited Liability....