Family Sues Duck Boat Company For $100M Following Incident That Left 17 Dead
Eleven years ago I took a friend on the Philly duck boat tour & she still gives me shit for it. First they give you a cheap duck bill whistle necklace that the kids never stop blowing into, and then you sit on a goofy looking vehicle in Philly traffic ashamed to make eye contact with Philadelphians on the sidewalks as you crawl down South Street, the stagnant summer air making your legs stick to the seat. At least you hope that’s what it is. And then it drives straight into the Delaware River while everyone ‘oooohs & ahhhs’, where it proceeds to go 3mph as someone drones on about a spot where Will Smith allegedly just bought a waterfront condo & you wonder how much longer this is going to take… Turns out, a lot longer. (Sorry again, Jill.)
Making matters worse, the duck boat industry has a terrible reputation when it comes to safety. The solid canopy designs have been noted as a ‘trapping danger’ & in the last 19 years, 39 people have been killed on/by duck boat tours among other accidents. After the latest horrific incident which killed 17 people, family members are suing for $100M in damages.
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From USA Today:
Relatives of two of the nine Indianapolis family members killed when a duck boat sank in a Missouri lake have filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit seeking $100 million in damages.
The lawsuit blames the July 19 tragedy on “decades of unacceptable, greed-driven and willful ignorance of safety by the Duck Boat industry.”
Here’s a list of past accidents:
1999: Hot Springs, AR
Poor maintenance led to a duck boat sinking in Lake Hamilton – 13 killed.
2010: Philadelphia, PA
Duck boat struck by barge whose captain was distracted by cell phone & laptop – 2 killed.
2015: Philadelphia, PA
Duck boat hits pedestrian on the street – 1 killed.
2015: Seattle, WA
Duck boat hits other vehicle after veering into oncoming traffic on a bridge. Improper maintenance & loopholes in federal oversight were cited as major issues. – 5 killed.
2016: Boston, MA
Duck boat hits woman riding scooter – 1 killed.
2018: Branson, MO – 17 killed.
The deadliest so far; a duck boat took on water during a storm in Table Rock Lake, killing 17 passengers as it sank 80 feet below. The duck boat captain made reference to the weather & passengers claimed he pointed to where the life vests were but said they wouldn’t be needed.
Looking at the record it seems these vehicles fall in the cracks when it comes to regulations & accountability. I hope those families manage to find some sort of peace & that justice is served. In the meantime, instead of taking a duck tour maybe do something that makes you look cool, like a segway tour or double decker bus trip.