ducky tour accident

Watch CBS News

Just Ducky Tours Owner Addresses Concerns After Missouri Duck Boat Tragedy

July 20, 2018 / 6:46 PM EDT / CBS Pittsburgh

Follow KDKA-TV : Facebook | Twitter

PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) -- The country-and-western tourist town of Branson, Missouri, mourned Friday for more than a dozen sightseers who were killed when a duck boat capsized and sank in stormy weather in the deadliest such accident in almost two decades.

Divers found four more bodies in Table Rock Lake, bringing the death toll to 17, including nine people from the same family and the crew member who was driving the amphibious boat. In their initial assessment, authorities blamed thunderstorms and winds that approached hurricane strength. A full investigation was underway.

"Branson is a city full of smiles," Mayor Karen Best said. "We have so much fun here. But today we are grieving and crying."

In Pittsburgh, the tragedy was on the minds of passengers at Just Ducky Tours in Station Square. The boats are a familiar site, operating in the city for 21 years, with two million served. On a busy day they transport up to 1,600 passengers.

Jordan Carter and wife, Marcia Avila, visiting from San Francisco, booked a trip on one of the vehicles as part of their trip. But they had questions after the boat capsized outside Branson.

"Why wasn't there any life jackets? Was there any? Do you have any?" Avila said.

KDKA's Pam Surano Reports:

Just Ducky Tours co-owner/operator Christopher D'Addario was on hand to answer safety questions and weather concerns.

"We are always in possession of really good information, the quickness of the river flow, the height of the rivers," he said.

D'Addario, also a captain, explained the process his fleet of eight duck boats operates under in the port of Pittsburgh. Working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps. of Engineers, they constantly maintain communication about weather.

"That's a determining factor daily for us to monitor what's happening now on our waterways," he said.

Even though the fleet rides the three rivers, and not the deeper waters of a lake, the duck boats are always 250 feet from the banks, and a captain and first mate are both always on board.

They say safety vests do not need to be worn, but they're on board.

"And those vests are out and visible. One for every child and adult on board," D'Addario said.

Thirty adult, 30 child and even two infant vests are aboard every vessel.

Pittsburgh's fleet was among the first in the U.S., and are among the original built military Army Ducks used during World War I and World War II. It remains to be seen if the newer generation of duck boats are similar in name only, and not in might and seaworthiness.

Back in Missouri, the risk of heavy weather was apparent hours before the boat left shore.

The weather service station in Springfield, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Branson, issued a severe thunderstorm watch for its immediate area Thursday, saying conditions were ripe for winds of 70 mph. It followed up at 6:32 p.m. with a severe thunderstorm warning for three counties that included Branson and the lake. The warning mentioned both locations. The boat went down about 40 minutes later, shortly after 7 p.m.

"When we issue a warning, it means take action," meteorologist Kelsey Angle said.

Suzanne Smagala with Ripley Entertainment, which owns Ride the Ducks in Branson, said the company was assisting authorities. She said this was the company's only accident in more than 40 years of operation.

The boat was carrying 29 passengers and two crew members on a pleasure cruise, and everyone aboard had been accounted for by midday Friday. Seven of the 14 survivors were hurt when the vessel went down. At least two were hospitalized in critical condition. The captain survived, authorities said.

Authorities had not publicly identified the dead but said they included a 1-year-old child.

"Duck boats are death traps," said Andrew Duffy, an attorney whose Philadelphia law firm handled litigation related to two fatal duck boat accidents there. "They're not fit for water or land because they are half car and half boat. In water, they take on water easily, they sink easily. Once they sink, there is a canopy fixed to the top that, unlike other boats in the world, pulls the passengers with it towards the bottom of the lake."

Divers quickly located the vessel, which came to rest on its wheels on the lakebed, and authorities planned to recover it later Friday.

The boat sank in 40 feet (12 meters) of water and then rolled on its wheels into a deeper area with 80 feet (25 meters) of water. Investigators had no information about whether passengers were wearing life jackets or whether they were stowed onboard, the sheriff said.

The Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board planned to help with the investigation.

Branson, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City, is a country-themed tourist mecca built on a reputation for patriotic and religious-themed shows in numerous theaters.

Table Rock Lake, east of Branson, was created in the late 1950s when the Corps of Army Engineers built a dam across the White River to provide hydroelectric power to the Ozarks.

(TM and © Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Featured Local Savings

More from cbs news.

Man taken into custody after attempting to assault sheriff deputy outside of Allegheny County Courthouse

One person found dead after vehicle pulled from Boone Reservoir in Peters Township

FBI investigates threats targeting Pittsburgh-area school and houses of worship

Ducks, art, and greenhouses - plenty to do outdoors this weekend | KDKA Weekend Planner

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Judge Dismisses Manslaughter Charges in Duck Boat Accident That Killed 17

A circuit court judge said prosecutors had not proved that three employees committed felony offenses by taking the boat out on a lake near Branson, Mo., before powerful thunderstorms struck.

By Alyssa Lukpat

A Missouri judge on Tuesday dismissed all criminal charges against three tour boat company employees in connection with a 2018 accident that killed 17 people near Branson, ruling that not enough evidence had been provided to support the counts of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment.

In his decision, Judge Alan Blankenship of circuit court in Stone County wrote that prosecutors had not shown that the employees committed felony offenses by taking the boat out on Table Rock Lake before powerful thunderstorms struck.

State and local prosecutors, who pursued the case together, argued at a preliminary hearing that the employees should not have taken the boat out on the lake as bad weather approached and that, if they were going to do so, they should have had the passengers wear flotation devices, according to Judge Blankenship’s decision.

But the judge wrote that prosecutors had not provided “sufficient evidence” to show the intent required to prove the charges. Prosecutors, he wrote, would have had to show that the employees had been acting recklessly or knowingly despite the circumstances.

Judge Blankenship dismissed the case without prejudice, meaning that prosecutors could bring charges again.

Chris Nuelle, a spokesman for the Missouri attorney general’s office, said in a statement on Tuesday that the office was “disappointed” in the court’s decision. He did not answer questions about why the judge was allowing the prosecutors to file charges again.

“Our office hopes to refile charges and continue this case,” he said.

Matt Selby, the Stone County prosecuting attorney, said that he was also “disappointed” in the judge’s ruling but that “we’ll be trying to make a decision in the next two or three days about what our next step will be, if anything.”

Lawyers for the three employees — Kenneth Scott McKee, Charles Baltzell and Curtis Lanham — each said on Tuesday that they respected the court’s decision.

“This is a terrible tragedy for all involved,” Justin Johnston, a lawyer for Mr. Baltzell, said.

Mr. McKee’s lawyers, J.R. Hobbs and Marilyn B. Keller, and Mr. Lanham’s lawyers, Thomas Bath and Tricia Bath, also said on Tuesday that the accident had been a tragedy but that they did not think it was appropriate to comment further.

The three employees were charged in July last year with a total of 63 criminal counts.

Mr. McKee, 54, the captain; Mr. Lanham, 39, the general manager; and Mr. Baltzell, 79, the manager on duty, were among the 31 people on the boat when it sank on July 19, 2018 . An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found that the employees had taken the boat, Stretch Duck 7, out on calm waters before winds picked up and heavy rain and lightning battered the region.

“In hindsight, it is evident that the defendants did not have enough weather information to appreciate the threat of high winds,” Judge Blankenship wrote.

He said that their company, Ride the Ducks Branson, had relied on a widely used online weather tool, Earth Networks, to check the conditions before the tour and that it had showed an approaching storm but not strong winds.

Judge Blankenship wrote that the weather tool and the employees’ view of the sky “likely gave the impression” that the boat could avoid the storm.

He also said that there was no evidence that Mr. McKee, the captain, who had 16 years of experience, had “an affirmative duty” to require passengers to wear flotation devices.

Ripley Entertainment, which acquired Ride the Ducks Branson in 2017, said in a statement on Tuesday that it had cooperated with all of the investigations into the accident and that it would “continue to support our current and former employees.”

A federal judge dismissed neglect and misconduct charges against the three employees in December 2020.

Among the 17 people who died were children and a family of nine. The boat sank 85 feet underwater as onlookers heard people screaming and watched the boat being swamped by the surging waves. It was one of the deadliest accidents involving a tour boat in U.S. history.

Alyssa Lukpat is a breaking news reporter and a member of the 2021-22 New York Times fellowship class. More about Alyssa Lukpat

Duck Boat Tragedy: Four years since ‘Ride the Ducks’ boat capsized on Table Rock Lake

BRANSON, Mo. (KY3) - Tuesday marks four years since a Ride the Ducks boat on Table Rock Lake capsized during a storm, sinking and killing 17 people on board.

On July 19, 2018, a Stretch Duck 7 duck boat with 31 people on board capsized and sank in stormy weather near Branson, Missouri.

Sixteen passengers, including nine from the same family and one crew member driving the boat, drowned that night, leading to one of the deadliest boating accidents in United States history.

In their initial assessment, authorities blamed thunderstorms and winds that approached hurricane strength. The duck boat sank under high waves while winds around the area reached up to 70 miles per hour that day.

Investigators say Ride the Ducks had plenty of warning about the severe weather, but the boat still launched more than 20 minutes after a thunderstorm warning was issued for Table Rock Lake.

THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Four years later, people are still pushing for answers and working to come to terms with what happened.

On April 7, the Missouri Attorney General and Stone County Prosecutor refiled 63 criminal charges against three employees on duty when tragedy struck. Captain Kenneth Scott McKee and two supervisors, Curtis Lanham and Charles Baltzell, all face a slate of felonies that include at least 17 criminal charges each.

This decision came just two days after Stone County Judge Alan Blankenship dismissed 63 state-based charges initially filed against McKee, Lanham and Baltzell last year. When the charges were dismissed on April 5, Judge Blankenship ruled the unique characteristics of the boat led to it rapidly sinking. He also said the staff was aware of the storm, but there is no evidence they were aware of the storm’s “gust front.”

As part of the latest court proceedings, Captain McKee faces 17 involuntary manslaughter charges and 12 endangering the welfare of a child-death of a child charges. Lanham and Baltzell each face 17 involuntary manslaughter charges.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt released this statement to KY3 News on the new charges on April 7:

“As I’ve said previously, my office is committed to fighting for justice on behalf of the 17 people that were tragically killed in 2018 - that’s why we refiled the charges in this case.”

Schmitt released this statement last year when his office first filed charges:

“There was a severe weather event already taking place. Based on his training and experience, he should have never gone in the water that day. There were also folks, the GM and the operations officer, who should have known better too, and the consequences here were incredibly tragic.”

Last year, Missouri U.S. Sens. Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley reintroduced federal legislation to improve the safety of duck boats. The bill would require the use of life jackets and equipping all duck boats to be more buoyant during emergency flooding.

“These common-sense safety measures, which are long overdue and need to go into effect immediately, will help prevent an incident like this from ever happening again,” said Sen. Blunt.

The U.S. Senate passed the bill during its latest go-around, but the legislation did not make it through the House.

REMEMBERING THE TRAGEDY

For emergency responders, the scene that unfolded at Table Rock Lake remains vivid in their minds.

“Huge waves coming in, hitting that rock face and just going up that rock face. I’m just like ‘Wow.’ I’m like ‘I can see why a duck boat sank,’” said Mike Moore, Southern Stone County Fire Protection District Deputy Chief.

“It was chaos,” Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said. “One of the hardest things in the first 20 minutes there was trying to grasp ‘Where [are] all 30 of our people that were on this duck?’ It took a while to understand that they’d drown.”

Fire crews, police officers, paramedics, and state troopers flooded to the docking area of the Showboat Branson Belle, where the Ride the Ducks boat was supposed to get back on land. The boat capsized nearly 150 feet from that location.

“In almost 30 years of law enforcement, that was probably one of the most traumatic events I have been involved in,” said Rader. ” I had a deputy on [the Belle] who jumped in and helped save people and dragged the deceased out of the water. He’ll forever be affected by that. The emotional impact it made on everyone in this area, that tragedy will never be forgotten.”

Tia Coleman and her nephew are among the survivors, but she lost several family members in the accident.

“Keep us in prayer. We’re going to need it,” said Coleman days after the tragedy.

Attorneys for Coleman say she was disappointed when federal charges against the captain and attraction supervisors were dismissed last year, but she has renewed hope that the new charges filed by the state will bring justice for her and all the families impacted by the tragedy.

RESEARCH AND FINDINGS

Duck boats, like the one that capsized near Branson, were originally designed for the military, specifically to transport troops and supplies in World War II. They were later modified for use as sightseeing vehicles for tours that begin on land before going into the water.

In November 2019, the National Transportation Safety Board released a “Safety Recommendation Report” on the accident. The report mentions that the U.S. Coast Guard had repeatedly ignored safety recommendations that could have made tourist duck boats safer and potentially prevented the tragedy.

CLICK HERE for the NTSB Safety Recommendation Report

The report is similar to one issued in 1999 after a deadly accident involving an amphibious vehicle in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Thirteen people were killed in that accident.

According to the report, the NTSB repeatedly urged the Coast Guard to require upgrades for the boats to stay afloat when flooded and to remove barriers to escape, such as canopies. The report found that a fixed canopy and closed side curtain impeded passenger to escape, likely causing more deaths.

“Lives could have been saved, and the Stretch Duck 7 accident could have been prevented had previously issued safety recommendations been implemented,” said NTSB Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt in a November 2019 statement.

The NTSB says it recommended changes to 30 duck boat operators several years ago, but only one has made the recommended improvements.

In April 2020, the NTSB released findings of its investigation into the sinking of the Ride the Ducks vessel. Following the investigation, the Coast Guard agreed that canopies and side curtains should be removed from the duck boats, according to documents.

A lieutenant says the Coast Guard issued guidance in 2000, after an NTSB recommendation, urging inspectors and vessel owners to evaluate canopy design and installation. The guidance also recommended inspections of the design, sets, deck rails, windshields and windows “to ensure the overall arrangement did not restrict the ability of passengers to escape.”

An unrelated internal investigation performed by the National Weather Service found that local meteorologists followed the procedure necessary to ensure public safety on the night the duck boat capsized.

LOOKING BACK AND AHEAD

Robert Mongeluzzi, an attorney for survivor Tia Coleman, hopes the recommendations handed down by the NTSB in 2019 will finally be adopted by the Coast Guard.

“It is rare for one federal agency to really go after another. I was struck by how strongly the NTSB indicated that the Coast Guard just had not done the job they were supposed to do, which is protecting passengers and making safety first,” said Mongeluzzi.

Mongeluzzi says he and Coleman plan to meet with Coast Guard officials in the future to lobby for stricter laws and regulations.

“It was a very frustrating and emotional day for Tia Coleman,” said Mongeluzzi. “Her family would be alive if the duck boat industry had done their job and if the Coast Guard had done their job. Both of them have the blood of 17 victims here and two in Philadelphia on their hands.”

Ripley Entertainment, Inc., the company that operated duck boat rides in Branson, has settled 31 lawsuits filed on behalf of victims of the accident. The final lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount in January 2020.

Ride The Ducks, however, has not operated in Branson since the tragedy four years ago.

ORIGINAL COVERAGE:

July 20, 2018

Branson mourns for 17 killed in sinking of packed duck boat

RELATED COVERAGE:

April 7, 2022

Charges refiled in Branson duck boat tragedy as the U.S. Senate considers bill calling for safety improvements

April 5, 2022

Judge dismisses state charges against 3 Ride the Ducks employees in 2018

March 22, 2022

Duck Boat rides returning to Branson for summer season

Dec. 8, 2021

Stone County judge to decide in March if criminal case filed in Duck Boat tragedy will proceed

July 16, 2021

Stone Co. prosecutor, Missouri attorney general files 63 new charges against 3 in Ride the Ducks tragedy

January 28, 2021

Senators Blunt, Hawley reintroduce duck boat safety legislation

January 8, 2021

Man planning new Branson duck boat tour business details safety measures

April 28, 2020

Attorney for duck boat tragedy survivor, Tia Coleman, says she’s focused on change

November 13, 2019

NTSB: Coast Guard ignored duck boat safety proposals

July 19, 2019

First responders recall the duck boat tragedy, one year later

July 17, 2019

A year after tragedy, city of Branson debates future of duck boats

Copyright 2020 KY3. All rights reserved.

Former HGTV star sentenced to prison for fraud

1 killed, 3 hurt, in crash north of Lebanon, Mo.

Bass Pro eliminates jobs at trio of boat manufacturing plants in the Ozarks

OZARKS UNSOLVED UPDATE: Medical examiner rules death of Dr. John Forsyth as a suicide

FIRST ALERT WEATHER: Need a Jacket This Weekend

Latest news.

William Contreras drives in 2 runs for Brewers in a win over Cardinals in 10 innings

Pasquantino, Melendez homer as Royals win and stop Orioles' 4-game winning streak

Missouri Department of Conservation reminds fishermen of fish limits after trout hoarding investigation

Teenager sentenced in deadly drunken-driving crash killing a Rogersville High School student

A look back at past deadly duck tour incidents

Families are gathering in Branson, Missouri, to mourn the deaths of 17 people -- including children -- who were killed when a tourist duck boat capsized in a lake during severe thunderstorms Thursday night.

The crash in Table Rock Lake isn't the first time a duck boat tour has turned deadly. From a 1999 accident on an Arkansas lake to a 2016 crash in Boston, here are some previous fatal accidents involving duck boats in the United States:

1999: Arkansas

Thirteen people were killed when a duck boat with 21 people on board sank on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1999, the National Transportation Safety Board said.

The boat was about 7 minutes into its tour when it sank by its stern and plunged 60 feet to the bottom of the lake, the NTSB said. Seven passengers and the operator escaped.

The NTSB determined the cause of the accident to be inadequate maintenance of the vessel, which was built by the U.S. Army in 1944.

(MORE: 13 dead, including children in Missouri duck boat accident)

(more: how the missouri duck boat capsize unfolded amid weather warnings), 2010: philadelphia.

A tugboat-guided barge hit a duck tour boat on the Delaware River in 2010, killing Szaboolcs Prem and Doran Schwendtner, two Hungarian students who were visiting the U.S., ABC station WPVI in Philadelphia reported.

The tugboat pilot, Matthew Devlin, had been talking on his cellphone at the time and was sentenced to one year in prison, WPVI reported.

2015: Philadelphia

Elizabeth Karnicki, a tourist from Texas, was walking in Philadelphia during the evening rush hour when she was hit and killed by a duck boat in May 2015, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Karnicki's husband argued duck boats have large blind spots causing the drivers to not see pedestrians; he sued the company and the case was settled, The Kansas City Star reported.

2015: Seattle

Five college students were killed and many others were injured in a duck boat crash in Seattle in September 2015.

The boat was driving on Aurora Bridge when the axle broke, causing the driver to lose control and collide with a bus carrying college students, The Associated Press said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Ride the Ducks International violated the law by not telling regulators of a safety defect in the duck boats' front axle and by not issuing a recall, the AP reported.

Ride the Ducks International agreed to pay penalties, calling it "an unprecedented failure," the AP reported in 2016.

2016: Boston

Allison Warmuth was riding a scooter in Boston when she was hit and killed by a duck tour boat in 2016, according to ABC affiliate WCVB in Boston.

After the crash, duck boats in the city added second workers to all its tours, reported WCVB. The boats also added new equipment including an extra camera to the tours and banned drivers from narrating during the rides, WCVB said.

Related Topics

• Duck Boat Accident

Up Next in News—

School shooting survivors share their stories, from Columbine to Oxford High

Heart-pounding beach rescue caught on camera

Hiker speaks out after being rescued from California cliff

Skier who survived violent chair lift ride in high winds speaks out

Shop editors picks, sponsored content by taboola.

Missouri Fatal Incident Sparks Renewed Concerns About Boston Duck Tours

A woman driving a scooter was killed in 2016 during a crash with one of boston's duck boat tours vehicles, by cassy arsenault and karla rendon-alvarez • published july 20, 2018 • updated on july 20, 2018 at 7:27 pm, what to know.

• At least 13 are dead after a duck boat capsized and sank on a Missouri lake during a thunderstorm Thursday; 4 are still missing
• Boston Duck Tours says its severe weather policy allows them to cancel rides if the conditions are unsafe
• Boston Duck Tour boats don't require seatbelts, but do have life jackets for safety

With the recent fatalities reported after a sightseeing duck boat capsized and sank in a Missouri lake, concerns over the safety of Boston’s own Duck Boat Tours have resurfaced.

The popular tourist ride boasts a unique, historical tour around the city and states that safety is its top priority.

After a fatal crash involving a motorist on a scooter in 2016, the company updated its operation to prevent another accident from happening again. A second person was assigned to each duck boat with one person operating the vehicle and the other giving a tour.

Tourists visiting Boston on Friday said although they felt horrible about what happened in Missouri, they felt safe riding the boats.

"I feel pretty safe about what's happening here in Boston," said Jennifer Young, a tourist visiting from California.

"On the way here to ride the duck boats, we said a prayer to all those that were affected, those that have passed away," added Colleen Willard, a tourist from Chicago.

The Missouri duck boat sank during a thunderstorm, killing at least 13 of the 31 people on board. Boston’s Duck Boat Tours’ severe weather policy states it may cancel rides if conditions are unsafe.

"I can just imagine the heartache and the tragedy because when you’re out and you're enjoying something, you know, fun to do in life, and all of a sudden tragedy hits. It’s really hard," Willard said.

"Boston Duck Tours runs rain or shine," their policy states. "However, we may be forced to cancel either the water portion or the entire tour itself under severe weather conditions... Cancellations are done at the discretion of the Dispatcher based on the current weather conditions at the time of the tour."

There are no seatbelts on board because state law does not require them, but they carry life jackets for safety and enforce several safety measures.

Vehicles are checked every year by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and U.S. Coast Guard, according to Boston’s Duck Boat Tours. Its vehicles are also reportedly checked multiple times a day by mechanics. Drivers must also complete several weeks of training before they can operate one of the vehicles.

This article tagged under:

•   Weather

Search location by ZIP code

Pittsburgh's just ducky tours ends season early, cancels all duck boat rides for rest of 2018.

• Copy Link Copy {copyShortcut} to copy Link copied!

GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox.

Just Ducky Tours has canceled the rest of its 2018 season, saying that business in Pittsburgh has fallen off after a fatal duck boat accident in Missouri and a train derailment near Station Square earlier this summer. (Scroll down for full statement)

"Unfortunately for our operation, we're defending our business as if we were the cause of that accident and that's simply not the case," said Michael Cohen, co-owner of Just Ducky Tours.

He added, "Google 'Just Ducky Tours, Pittsburgh accidents' and you will find nothing. There is nothing there, there is no data there, because we've always put people over profits."

The season was originally set to continue through Nov. 30, but Just Ducky Tours said it has ended early and they will "re-tool" for the 2019 season.

Based at Station Square, Just Ducky Tours takes customers on narrated rides around the city in amphibious vehicles. Each tour begins on land and eventually enters the river.

"We're good at what we do. We've been an ambassador to the city, and it will be sad if it goes away, but I know I'll hold my head high," said Cohen. "I got 2 million passengers, along with my business partner Chris (D'Addario), that we carried safely, and no one can take that away from me."

An automated message on the company's main phone line says that customers who have already scheduled a ride with Just Ducky Tours will be contacted.

Station Square itself is set to undergo an overhaul soon. Several stores have moved out of the Freight House ahead of the massive renovation project that will also bring a UPMC employee training center to the property.

Stay updated with breaking news: Download the WTAE mobile app

Below is the full text of a statement released by Just Ducky Tours on Wednesday.

Just Ducky Tours, Pittsburgh's only land and water tour, has decided to suspend operations for the remainder of the 2018 season as they re-tool for the 2019 season. Following the negative national press around the Branson, MO, duck boat accident in July and last month's train derailment in Station Square, Just Ducky Tours has seen a decline in business.

Just Ducky Tours has an impeccable 20-year safety record, unlike the 'Ride the Ducks' operations who operate in Branson and several other cities who have had several accidents over the past 20 years. Just Ducky Tours was the first to run amphibious vehicle tours with two operators on board -- a captain and a deck-hand. Just Ducky Tours operates only the original-designed, General Motors duck boats (length and width not modified) since they started operating in 1997. Just Ducky Tours runs vessels with canopies and side curtains designed specifically for easy exit in the event of an emergency, unlike 'Ride the Ducks' vehicles. All of the 'Ride the Ducks' vehicles have been modified -- their vessels are ducks that have been cut in half and extended to carry more passengers or a homemade vehicle that has been built on the chassis of an old truck called 'Truck Ducks.' Just Ducky Tours has maintained a very close relationship with the U.S. Coast Guard over the past 20 years, ensuring their vehicle structure and safety protocols meet or exceed strict guidelines. The U.S. Coast Guard has applauded Just Ducky Tours for their dedication to safety infrastructure and procedure.

"If you consider that we've safely toured nearly 2 million passengers on the streets and rivers of Pittsburgh in the past 21 years and then consider the many accidents associated with 'Ride the Ducks' and their affiliates, it appears that they are bad operators, and the rest of us are paying the price," said Chris D'Addario, co-owner of Just Ducky Tours.

"It is understandable that the accident in Branson would make people take pause before considering a duck boat tour, however we can stand on our flawless safety record over 21 years," added D'Addario. "When we are presented with difficult circumstances we always make the safe decision. We have canceled our tours hundreds of times due to unsafe weather or river conditions over the past two decades, and we will continue to follow best practices as they relate to our passengers and crew."

"The fact that a federal criminal investigation has now been open into the judgement and decision-making of a 'Ride the Ducks' operator, calls into question whether they’ve put profit over safety, which we have never done," concluded D'Addario.

Just Ducky Tours has been voted the Best City Tour in Pittsburgh by the City Paper Best of Pittsburgh Readers' Poll for the past five years.

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Credit card rates
• Balance transfer credit cards
• Business credit cards
• Cash back credit cards
• Rewards credit cards
• Travel credit cards
• Checking accounts
• Online checking accounts
• High-yield savings accounts
• Money market accounts
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Car insurance
• Home buying
• Options pit
• Investment ideas
• Research reports
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Woman hit, killed by Philadelphia duck tour boat

(Reuters) - A woman was struck and killed by an amphibious sightseeing tour vehicle in Philadelphia on Friday, police said. The woman, who was in her 60s and not identified, was pronounced dead at the scene of the Ride the Ducks vehicle crash in the city's Chinatown neighborhood around 5:25 p.m. local time, police said. "The thoughts and prayers of the entire Ride The Ducks organization are with the family and friends of the pedestrian involved in an accident that occurred this afternoon," the company said in a statement. Police said no criminal charges had been or were likely to be filed against the driver. Witness Thomas Massaro told the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper that he heard a scream before he saw the woman get dragged under the vehicle. "It just went right over her," he said. The newspaper reported that two tourists were killed in 2010 when a tugboat pushed a barge into a Ride the Ducks vehicle. (Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Kim Coghill)

Recommended Stories

Wnba draft winners and losers: as you may have guessed, the fever did pretty well. the liberty perhaps not.

Here are five franchises who stood out, for better or for worse.

Trump trial updates: Jury selection finished, man sets himself on fire outside courthouse

Five more alternate jurors were selected Friday following questioning from prosecution and defense lawyers, rounding out the 12 jurors and six alternates needed for the case against Trump to proceed.

Yankees pitcher Fritz Peterson, infamous for trading wives with a teammate, dies at 82

Former New York Yankees left-hander Fritz Peterson died at the age of 82. He is probably best known exchanging wives with teammate Mike Kekich in the 1970s.

Boban Marjanović hilariously misses free throws on purpose to give Clippers fans free chicken

Boban Marjanović is a man of the people.

Robert Kraft reportedly warned Falcons owner Arthur Blank not to trust Bill Belichick during head coach interviews

Bill Belichick's former boss Robert Kraft reportedly tanked his chances of getting hired as the Falcons head coach.

Jaromír Jágr scores in first game since turning 52, passes Gordie Howe as oldest professional hockey player

Jágr began his NHL career in 1990 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

UFC 300: 'We're probably gonna get sued' after Arman Tsarukyan appeared to punch fan during walkout

'We'll deal with that Monday,' Dana White said about Arman Tsarukyan appearing to punch a fan during his UFC 300 walkout.

Commanders hosted 4 top QB prospects at once, and Jayden Daniels' agent wasn't happy

The Commanders had an unusual visit with multiple QB prospects.

Rob Gronkowski's first pitch before the Red Sox's Patriots' Day game was typical Gronk

Never change, Gronk.

NBA playoffs: Predictions for Knicks-Sixers, Nuggets-Lakers and every first-round series

Our NBA experts make their predictions for every first-round series in the playoffs.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: A little something for every lineup in our latest pickups

Fantasy baseball analyst Andy Behrens offers up a series of pickups to assist every manager, starting with a duo of Rockies ahead of a Colorado homestand.

2024 Masters payouts: How much did Scottie Scheffler earn for his win at Augusta National?

The Masters has a record $20 million purse this year.

Trump Media stock jumps for second day as company goes to battle with short sellers

Trump Media is advising investors on ways to prevent their shares from being loaned for a short-interest position.

2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Review: Cool, capable, family friendly, perhaps too pricey

Everything we know about the all-new 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, including its price, fuel economy, hybrid power specs and more.

Early MLB season evaluations, which teams are up and which are down, Jack Leiter debut

Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman give their early season assessment of all thirty MLB teams at the three week mark, as well as discuss the long-awaited debut of Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter.

Pirates phenom Paul Skenes still has 'steps he needs to take' after comically dominant start to season

Skenes has struck out 27 in 12 2/3 scoreless innings pitched at Triple-A so far this season.

Justin Pippen, Scottie Pippen's youngest son, commits to Michigan

Justin Pippen, the youngest son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen, announced he will be playing college basketball next season at Michigan.

76ers' statue for Allen Iverson draws jokes, outrage due to misunderstanding: 'That was disrespectful'

Iverson didn't get a life-size statue. Charles Barkley and Wilt Chamberlain didn't either.

Report: The Toyota Highlander is going all-electric

Recent reports point to a new Highlander EV and plug-in versions of Toyota's trucks.

Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Rundown: 8 key updates

There have been some noteworthy moves in the fantasy baseball reliever landscape. Dalton Del Don breaks down the most important.

A look back at past deadly duck tour incidents

From a 1999 accident on an Arkansas lake to a 2016 crash in Boston.

Families are gathering in Branson, Missouri, to mourn the deaths of 17 people -- including children -- who were killed when a tourist duck boat capsized in a lake during severe thunderstorms Thursday night.

The crash in Table Rock Lake isn't the first time a duck boat tour has turned deadly. From a 1999 accident on an Arkansas lake to a 2016 crash in Boston, here are some previous fatal accidents involving duck boats in the United States:

1999: Arkansas

Thirteen people were killed when a duck boat with 21 people on board sank on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in 1999, the National Transportation Safety Board said.

The boat was about 7 minutes into its tour when it sank by its stern and plunged 60 feet to the bottom of the lake, the NTSB said. Seven passengers and the operator escaped.

The NTSB determined the cause of the accident to be inadequate maintenance of the vessel, which was built by the U.S. Army in 1944.

(MORE: 13 dead, including children in Missouri duck boat accident)

(more: how the missouri duck boat capsize unfolded amid weather warnings), 2010: philadelphia.

A tugboat-guided barge hit a duck tour boat on the Delaware River in 2010, killing Szaboolcs Prem and Doran Schwendtner, two Hungarian students who were visiting the U.S., ABC station WPVI in Philadelphia reported.

The tugboat pilot, Matthew Devlin, had been talking on his cellphone at the time and was sentenced to one year in prison, WPVI reported.

2015: Philadelphia

Elizabeth Karnicki, a tourist from Texas, was walking in Philadelphia during the evening rush hour when she was hit and killed by a duck boat in May 2015, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Related Stories

Man sets himself on fire outside Trump courthouse

• Apr 19, 4:11 PM

Senate kills Mayorkas impeachment trial

• Apr 17, 5:52 PM

OJ Simpson dies at 76

• Apr 11, 6:32 PM

Karnicki's husband argued duck boats have large blind spots causing the drivers to not see pedestrians; he sued the company and the case was settled, The Kansas City Star reported.

2015: Seattle

Five college students were killed and many others were injured in a duck boat crash in Seattle in September 2015.

The boat was driving on Aurora Bridge when the axle broke, causing the driver to lose control and collide with a bus carrying college students, The Associated Press said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Ride the Ducks International violated the law by not telling regulators of a safety defect in the duck boats' front axle and by not issuing a recall, the AP reported.

Ride the Ducks International agreed to pay penalties, calling it "an unprecedented failure," the AP reported in 2016.

2016: Boston

Allison Warmuth was riding a scooter in Boston when she was hit and killed by a duck tour boat in 2016, according to ABC affiliate WCVB in Boston.

After the crash, duck boats in the city added second workers to all its tours, reported WCVB. The boats also added new equipment including an extra camera to the tours and banned drivers from narrating during the rides, WCVB said.

Related Topics

• Duck Boat Accident

Gaetz attended 2017 party, woman's statement says

• Apr 19, 5:04 AM

Kansas women killings: Affidavit alleges motive

• Apr 16, 7:38 PM

ABC News Live

24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

• Philadelphia

The fatal history of Philly’s duck boats

Philadelphia had a rocky past with Ride the Ducks before the company suspended its local operation in 2016.

At one time, it was not uncommon to see flocks of tourists carted throughout Philadelphia in boats on wheels.

Ride the Ducks — an amphibious city tour — was once a popular Philadelphia tourist draw. But in October 2016, the company suspended operations in the city .

In the wake of a duck boat disaster that claimed the lives of 17 people in Branson, Mo. on Thursday, the vehicles and their use for tourism are being scrutinized again. Here's a look at duck boats' fatal history in Philadelphia.

>> READ MORE:  Death toll from Missouri duck boat accident climbs to 17

The Ride the Ducks franchise, which is headquartered where the Missouri tragedy took place, began operating in Philadelphia in 2003.

A deadly accident on the Delaware

Less than a decade later,  the company was involved in its first fatal accident in the city.

On July 7, 2010, a barge pushed by a tugboat struck a duck boat stranded in the Delaware River off Penn's Landing after an engine fire.

Once struck, the amphibious craft capsized and two Hungarian tourists drowned.

The tugboat's pilot, the Inquirer reported , was on his cellphone handling a family emergency. He served a one-year sentence for "the maritime equivalent of involuntary manslaughter."

>> READ MORE:  What are duck boats? An explanation of the amphibious vehicles

Ride the Ducks and K-Sea Transportation Partners, which owned the tugboat, faced lawsuits and were ordered to give the families of the deceased $15 million. They also were required to pay $2 million to be split among the survivors of the crash.

Fatal crash in Center City

Five years after that incident, a duck boat was involved in another fatality, this time on land.

Elizabeth Karnicki, 68, was run over and killed by a Ride the Ducks vehicle in May 2015.

Witnesses said Karnicki was crossing the street against a red light while looking at an electronic tablet near the Convention Center when she was struck,  the Inquirer reported at the time .

The operator of the vehicle had a green light, and was unable to see Karnicki, likely because duck boat drivers sit high and about ten feet behind the front of the boat, said the Inquirer .

>> R EAD MORE:  Duck boats have a history of fatalities

Karnicki's family sued the boat's operator and manufacturer, as well as the city, citing the vehicle's blind spots, distracted driving and inadequate crossing signals.

The lawsuit was settled during summer 2017 under undisclosed terms.

On-again, off-again operations

With the two deadly incidents, Ride the Ducks had a start-and-stop tenure in Philadelphia. The company's operations on the Delaware were halted after the 2010 accident. A months later, Ride the Ducks planned to move to the Schuylkill , but that shift was halted when the city rejected its proposal  and the company instead resumed boat tours on the Delaware , with some changes .

In October 2016, the company announced it would "indefinitely" suspend operations in Philly due, in part, to a 330 percent increase in insurance premiums, the Inquirer reported .

>> READ MORE:   Ride the Ducks suspends operations in Philadelphia

Robert J. Mongeluzzi, the lawyer who represented the families of all three victims, had been vocal in his opposition to the boats. When Ride the Ducks left Philadelphia, he  told the Inquirer  he would not miss the sightseeing vehicles.

"The ducks are dangerous," he said. "They are inappropriate for city streets, they're a danger on the land and on the water, and I'm glad to see them go."

Moscow City Shooting Sport Club

• Park Pobedy • 6 min walk

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travelers

Moscow City Shooting Sport Club - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• Fri - Fri 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
• Sat - Thu 10:00 AM - 11:45 PM
• (0.16 mi) Hostel on Generala Ermolova
• (0.16 mi) Hostel Salute
• (0.19 mi) Fili
• (0.21 mi) Kruazi Mini Hotel on Kutuzovsky
• (0.27 mi) Versal' na Kutuzovskom
• (0.16 mi) Restaurant 18.12
• (0.20 mi) Poklonka Bar
• (0.22 mi) Shokoladnitsa
• (0.30 mi) LoveCraft
• (0.87 mi) KT Biro