Prosecutors find likely negligence in Missouri duck boat sinking: report

The United States Coast Guard found probable cause that the captain of a tourist duck boat in Missouri that sank last month committed misconduct, was negligent or inattentive to his duties, federal prosecutors said in court motions.

The Associated Press reported that the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in filings that the captain of another duck boat that returned safely to shore acted in a “grossly negligent manner.”

According to the AP, federal prosecutors are seeking to delay the discovery process in any lawsuits filed against Ride the Ducks tour operators until the conclusion of the criminal investigation.

{mosads}The incident on July 19 in Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo., left 17 people dead, including nine members of one Indiana family. Relatives of that family last month filed a $100 million lawsuit against Ripley Entertainment Inc., Ride the Ducks Branson and Herschend Family Entertainment.

“Despite being aware of impending severe weather conditions, Ripley intentionally decided to take the Duck Boat out onto Table Rock Lake instead of cancelling the tour and refunding the patrons’ money,” the lawsuit states.

Suzanne Smagala, a spokeswoman for Ripley Entertainment, said in a statement to The Hill last month that that the company was “deeply saddened by the tragic accident.’

“The investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board is still underway and no conclusions have been reached,” Smagala added. “We cannot comment at this time.”