TRAGIC ACCIDENT: 17 tourists dead in Missouri ‘duck boat’ accident

17 sightseers have died after a duck boat capsized in Branson, Missouri on Thursday, marking the deadliest accident of its kind in two decades.

31 people were onboard the amphibious vessel when a severe thunderstorm hit causing intense wind and waves.

According to CNN, the people who died in the incident were not wearing life jackets. Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader, told CNN that there were life jackets on the boat but passengers weren’t required to wear them.

One of the 14 survivors, Tia Coleman, told KOLR that the captain mentioned life jackets but assured the passengers that they wouldn’t need them.

This is Alicia Dennison. She’s 12. She knows the water from tubing with her dad. She knew to try to grab a life jacket even though another survivor of the Duck boat tragedy on Table Rock Lake said the captain told passengers not to worry, that they wouldn’t need one. pic.twitter.com/H7JIJEDHnj
— Max Londberg (@MaxLondberg) July 21, 2018

“When that boat is found, all those life jackets are going to be on there because nobody pulled one off,” she said.

Coleman lost 9 family members in the accident. The victim’s ages ranged from 1 to 76.

No matter how you look at it, this is a great American tragedy losing 9 family members at once. Tia Coleman and nephew are the only survivors from such a HORRIFIC experience from a duck boat tour in Branson, Missouri. A GoFundMe page has been started to help the family. pic.twitter.com/Wd5Wt1Vry7
— Jason Mikell WKYC (@JasonMikellTV) July 21, 2018

“I felt like, if I was able to get a life jacket I could have saved my babies because they could have at least floated up to the top and somebody could have grabbed them,” she told reporters.

The New York Times described scenes of fisherman and other tourists in passing boats trying to rescue the passengers, some even performing CPR.

“It was a nightmare,” said Ron Folsom, a tourist from Fort Smith, Ark., told theTimes.

“All you could hear was squeals and screams and hollering.”

The accident has sparked fresh concerns over the safety of duck boats and whether tourists should be allowed on them.

Video from a second 'Ride The Ducks' boat that made it safely back to shore. It was on the water at Table Rock Lake at the same time as the boat that capsized. (Credit: Paul Lemus) pic.twitter.com/AKQmWfdoal
— Jason Boatright (@TheJasonBoat) July 20, 2018

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boat capsize duck boat Missouri