Zee09
$200 Site Donor 2023
I'm watching the press conference of the lady who survived the incident but lost nine family members. What a nightmare!
Duck Boat
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I did that very tour years ago. Table lake was smooth as silk when our tour was on it. Some have the opinion these things being like 75 years old shouldn't even be on the streets/water.
As a matter of fact-I heard the driver of the Duck Boat was 75 years old. They were not built with a canopy originally-it was said the canopy makes them even more of a death trap.
As a matter of fact-I heard the driver of the Duck Boat was 75 years old. They were not built with a canopy originally-it was said the canopy makes them even more of a death trap.
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Awful I know. Saw it on the local news a couple of days ago while here in south Florida. I was worried during the crocodile tour in the everglades last year. Life jackets should be mandatory. Storms really do come out of nowhere here.
First, godspeed to the victims, may their families find peace somehow.
There have been 10's of thousands that enjoyed their duck ride. I am one.
I hope it stays open. I also hope this is when some common sense regulations on tour boats go into effect, it does not need to add any significant cost to a ride to have an aircraft style safety drill, demo the life jackets, escape hatches, and evaluate the bilge pump capacity.
Rod
There have been 10's of thousands that enjoyed their duck ride. I am one.
I hope it stays open. I also hope this is when some common sense regulations on tour boats go into effect, it does not need to add any significant cost to a ride to have an aircraft style safety drill, demo the life jackets, escape hatches, and evaluate the bilge pump capacity.
Rod
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During WWII, a couple of GI’s drove a duck boat from France to England.
Only reason we now about it today is the Shore Patrol caught them in London...
Only reason we now about it today is the Shore Patrol caught them in London...
One of those Duck boats lost control and stuck a tour bus in Seattle several yrs ago. Four people I think were killed.
I know this is a stretch for many people but do try to keep up....
Actual facts can really help determine what happened. A radical concept, I know.
ANCIENT double decker busses were brought over here (USA) from somewhere in the UK and there were enough fatalities to force the tour companies to scrap the relics and get newer busses.
It turned out the tour people were hiring drivers with revoked licenses, drug issues and mental afflictions.
Let's start there.
It's cool to make a living in a quirky way but the public needs protection from creeps who just happen to have enough capital to buy old military landing craft
We actually do need to close any "unopened for 60 years parachute sport sky-diving club loophole".
Actual facts can really help determine what happened. A radical concept, I know.
ANCIENT double decker busses were brought over here (USA) from somewhere in the UK and there were enough fatalities to force the tour companies to scrap the relics and get newer busses.
It turned out the tour people were hiring drivers with revoked licenses, drug issues and mental afflictions.
Let's start there.
It's cool to make a living in a quirky way but the public needs protection from creeps who just happen to have enough capital to buy old military landing craft
We actually do need to close any "unopened for 60 years parachute sport sky-diving club loophole".
I'm curious as to whether they have much traction in Canada. I've never seen them in use, but then again, Saskatchewan is such a sea-faring locale. We do get pontoon boats here for tourist things. However, only a few years back, if you capsized in Wascana Lake, you could wade out.
Sad thing was that there was a ton of warning about the bad weather. I was working in Springfield, about 50 miles north, when the storm hit there. Same extreme high winds, did a bit of damage. The storm was heading south towards Branson. There was a severe thunderstorm watch since noon and was a warning by the time it hit us. I was tracking the storm on a radar app on my phone for an hour before it hit Springfield. I just wonder why they didn't pull the boats off the lake long before it hit.
Seems like a clusterscrew of bad decisions and a for profit motive.
The one video shown of the boat was not shot though a long telescopic lens. the boat was close to at least a dock, and likely shoreline with shallow water.
The driver in the storm wanted to get back to the launching area, when he could have just turned to shallow water. Even if the seas were then abeam with that 90 degree turn he could have gotten it to water shallow enough the passengers would have been sitting in waist deep water and would later have a funny story to tell about their ruined smartphones.
Instead the duckboat driver wanted to get back to the launching spot so badly, what happened, happened.
Quite sad.
I see Zero appeal in being a passenger on one of these duckboats.
The one video shown of the boat was not shot though a long telescopic lens. the boat was close to at least a dock, and likely shoreline with shallow water.
The driver in the storm wanted to get back to the launching area, when he could have just turned to shallow water. Even if the seas were then abeam with that 90 degree turn he could have gotten it to water shallow enough the passengers would have been sitting in waist deep water and would later have a funny story to tell about their ruined smartphones.
Instead the duckboat driver wanted to get back to the launching spot so badly, what happened, happened.
Quite sad.
I see Zero appeal in being a passenger on one of these duckboats.
Originally Posted By: CKN
I did that very tour years ago. Table lake was smooth as silk when our tour was on it. Some have the opinion these things being like 75 years old shouldn't even be on the streets/water.
As a matter of fact-I heard the driver of the Duck Boat was 75 years old. They were not built with a canopy originally-it was said the canopy makes them even more of a death trap.
I believe they're not actually 75 years old although some of them out in the country may be that old, they're replicas of the ones that were built 75 years ago but in theory were updated to meet coast guard requirements, but I think the coast guard asked them for more buoyancy, but it wasn't a requirement so it wasn't really done.
We have them here too, I happened to be in the area when one of them ran over someone in a scooter, I guess the driver didn't see the scooter or the scooter snuck in under the view of the driver and when the driver moved, crushed the driver of the scooter. Now they've put up a guard so someone can't be directly underneath and the driver just drives and they have a separate tour guide. We're just in a river, but I've been in that river in a regular boat and sonar showed 20+ feet of water in certain points.
I did that very tour years ago. Table lake was smooth as silk when our tour was on it. Some have the opinion these things being like 75 years old shouldn't even be on the streets/water.
As a matter of fact-I heard the driver of the Duck Boat was 75 years old. They were not built with a canopy originally-it was said the canopy makes them even more of a death trap.
I believe they're not actually 75 years old although some of them out in the country may be that old, they're replicas of the ones that were built 75 years ago but in theory were updated to meet coast guard requirements, but I think the coast guard asked them for more buoyancy, but it wasn't a requirement so it wasn't really done.
We have them here too, I happened to be in the area when one of them ran over someone in a scooter, I guess the driver didn't see the scooter or the scooter snuck in under the view of the driver and when the driver moved, crushed the driver of the scooter. Now they've put up a guard so someone can't be directly underneath and the driver just drives and they have a separate tour guide. We're just in a river, but I've been in that river in a regular boat and sonar showed 20+ feet of water in certain points.
Like wrcsixeight said, from the video, it looked as if the driver was not parallel to the wind. He drove it like a bus instead of a boat. He kept going against the wind and waves, so the craft kept sinking deeper and deeper. Horrible situation.
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"Parallel to the wind"? Why? That is the fastest way to swamp and sink a floundering boat. He should have driven straight to the shore/shallows. Stuck in the mud is better than sunk/dead.
Geesh, what a disaster. As a life-long sailor and very experienced in rough waves & weather, this is total FUBAR. TOTAL.
I hope they get sued out of business. To have that many people your responsibility, on the water, and be so incompetent & irresponsible is just nuts.
The lawyers are going to have a feeding frenzy. So be it. Let 'em at it.
Very sad to the families who placed their trust in these idiots. Not checking the weather forecast is just unconsciousable.
I hope they get sued out of business. To have that many people your responsibility, on the water, and be so incompetent & irresponsible is just nuts.
The lawyers are going to have a feeding frenzy. So be it. Let 'em at it.
Very sad to the families who placed their trust in these idiots. Not checking the weather forecast is just unconsciousable.
Originally Posted By: ammolab
Originally Posted By: Crispysea
Like wrcsixeight said, from the video, it looked as if the driver was not parallel to the wind. He drove it like a bus instead of a boat. He kept going against the wind and waves, so the craft kept sinking deeper and deeper. Horrible situation.
"Parallel to the wind"? Why? That is the fastest way to swamp and sink a floundering boat. He should have driven straight to the shore/shallows. Stuck in the mud is better than sunk/dead.
I'm no boat captain, but I believe when you're in high seas, you're supposed to point the boat into the wind. If you're perpendicular, the wind will just blow the waves into the boat and sink you quicker.
Originally Posted By: Crispysea
Like wrcsixeight said, from the video, it looked as if the driver was not parallel to the wind. He drove it like a bus instead of a boat. He kept going against the wind and waves, so the craft kept sinking deeper and deeper. Horrible situation.
"Parallel to the wind"? Why? That is the fastest way to swamp and sink a floundering boat. He should have driven straight to the shore/shallows. Stuck in the mud is better than sunk/dead.
I'm no boat captain, but I believe when you're in high seas, you're supposed to point the boat into the wind. If you're perpendicular, the wind will just blow the waves into the boat and sink you quicker.
The duckboat in the video was heading in to the wind. And it was already riding low from shortperiod very steep waves crashing over the bow and filling passenger area.
The driver could have hooked a hard right turn. Which would have caused it to roll violently and take on water faster. But then the wheels would have hit bottom a few dozen feet away, and it would be immobilized. And uncomfortable for passengers. But it would not have sunk and drowned so many.
Powering on into the wind in deeper water while it was sinking was a mistake. Shallow water was nearby.
The driver could have hooked a hard right turn. Which would have caused it to roll violently and take on water faster. But then the wheels would have hit bottom a few dozen feet away, and it would be immobilized. And uncomfortable for passengers. But it would not have sunk and drowned so many.
Powering on into the wind in deeper water while it was sinking was a mistake. Shallow water was nearby.
My parents were in Branson about a month ago and their hotel was right next to the "home port" for this. They wouldn't go on it(my mom hates boats in all shapes and sizes, from fishing boats to cruise ships), but most of the folks from the tour group they were went and absolutely raved about it. The weather was calm as could be the week they were there.
It's certainly sad all around for all involved.
It's certainly sad all around for all involved.
I'm just surprised that there weren't more wearing life jackets. From some accounts, it sounded like first there was one wave and then a second one and before you knew it, the boat sank. But from that video, it looked like there might have been some time to grab a life jacket, once the waves get like that, it's a good time to worry and grab a life jacket.
Originally Posted By: Wolf359
I'm just surprised that there weren't more wearing life jackets. From some accounts, it sounded like first there was one wave and then a second one and before you knew it, the boat sank. But from that video, it looked like there might have been some time to grab a life jacket, once the waves get like that, it's a good time to worry and grab a life jacket.
Nobody ever thinks they are going to get in to an automobile accident. Nobody ever thinks they are going to "sink" while on a boat. Even if it is some low riding truck that can supposedly to go in to the water-safely.
I'm just surprised that there weren't more wearing life jackets. From some accounts, it sounded like first there was one wave and then a second one and before you knew it, the boat sank. But from that video, it looked like there might have been some time to grab a life jacket, once the waves get like that, it's a good time to worry and grab a life jacket.
Nobody ever thinks they are going to get in to an automobile accident. Nobody ever thinks they are going to "sink" while on a boat. Even if it is some low riding truck that can supposedly to go in to the water-safely.
Lady lost all her kids....very sad.
Apparently the captain told people not to bother with life jackets, according to the story I read. He survived.
If I was the captain, and survived after saying that, I might wish I had not.
Apparently the captain told people not to bother with life jackets, according to the story I read. He survived.
If I was the captain, and survived after saying that, I might wish I had not.
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