A fatal duck boat accident that killed 17 people in 2018 likely would not have happened if the U.S. Coast Guard had acted on recommendations made after a similar tragedy over two decades ago, NTSB investigators say.
, killing 13 people, contributed to the 2018 accident. All but nine of them were ignored, including a key recommendation to add"reserve buoyancy" to the boats, allowing them to stay afloat after taking on water. Among other problems with the design of the vessels, the NTSB said they had insufficient"freeboard" — clearance between the deck and the waterline.
"NTSB investigators found that the accident vessel was originally constructed with a low freeboard, an open hull, and no subdivision or flotation, resulting in a design without adequate reserve buoyancy.
NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said duck boats should not be allowed to operate until the agency's recommendations are implemented. As of last year,Sumwalt said he was"very optimistic" the Coast Guard was committed to improving small passenger boat safety. Ripley Entertainment, which operated the now defunct Ride the Ducks of Branson, has settled 31 lawsuits filed by survivors or relatives of those who died, according to
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