The World War II-era DUKW amphibious vessel sank 250 feet from an exit ramp after waves flooded the duck boat through an air intake hatch on the bow, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in its report on the July 19, 2018, incident. Passengers and crew had only seconds to escape, and 17 people died. Another six people were injured.
The NTSB attributed the incident to the decision by the vessel operator, Ride the Ducks Branson, to continue running the waterborne portion of the tour despite a severe thunderstorm watch issued hours earlier.
“Contributing to the sinking was the Coast Guard’s failure to require sufficient reserve buoyancy in amphibious vessels,” the NTSB said in its report issued this spring. “Contributing to the loss of life was the Coast Guard’s ineffective action to address emergency egress on amphibious passenger vessels with fixed canopies, such as Stretch Duck 7, which impeded passenger escape.”
The Coast Guard is still conducting inquiries into the Stretch Duck 7 sinking, one focused on safety and the other a criminal investigation with support from the U.S. Justice Department, service spokesman Barry Lane said.
“The Coast Guard agrees with the NTSB that the canopy likely impeded passenger egress and we now recommend all canopies be removed prior to DUKW vessel operations,” Lane said, referring to a marine safety information bulletin the service issued in April 2020.
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