Picture this if you will. 1.You’re on a vacation in Missouri and wish to take a ride on a Duck Boat. (an amphibious tour boat.) 2. The captain tells everyone that there is a storm brewing but it should be a safe trip and everyone should be back before the storm hits. 3. The captain tells everyone where the life jackets are but further tells them not to get one unless they are told to do so. 4. You’re out in the water and the storm does hit and the captain tells you to stay in your seat instead of instructing you to get a life jacket or assign someone to hand them out. Now the big question: Do you do what everyone else does and remain seated, or get a few life preservers and hand them out whilst strapping one on yourself? I imagine that question crossed everyone’s mind as the waves started getting larger and storm grew more fierce and also the question of why the trip wasn’t canceled at the very thought that there was going to be a storm. 17 people died and in my opinion, they died not only because of what the captain told them but I am sure each one watched what everyone else was doing and was afraid of what someone else might say, or think. It goes back to an old adage of making your own decisions: It’s better to make a decision, right or wrong rather than make no decision at all or have someone make it for you.
That's my philosophy and will always be so This is a terrible story as one lady lost so many members of her family Did the Captain survive Bobby ?
No, my understanding is that he drowned whilst the second duck boat captain is being touted a hero for getting his passengers back safely and then aiding those who were in the water.
When I read that story I texted my son right away. They go to Table Rock a lot with the boys. It happened on a weekday though so I wasn't so worried...but he said they were there the weekend prior to this tragedy. That poor lady who lost almost her whole family. @Patsy Faye i think the pilot died but the captain survived...not sure though.
The reports are rather confusing. Some designate the driver as “Captain” uh, Williams I think but others state that the captain survived but the driver drowned. I’ll research it further but you might be right Chrissy.......... Whichever one survived, I am sure there will be one long road ahead for him.
It does cause you to think. I've wondered if the captain had instructed the passengers to put on the life vests and then pulled the canopy release if he could have prevented this tragic loss of life. It's always better to do the right thing and be safe. I would rather have all of them laughing at me or be reprimanded by my boss than have one of those people coming home in a box. Very sad.
I've been on the duck tour in, I think it was Boston, and those boats are wide and heavy. I would think they'd be very stable on the water, or at least difficult to capsize.
I might have to a tad more research to do. The depth of the water has everything to do with such things as ground swells and wave activity. If the water they were in was somewhat shallow say, even 20 feet, a good storm and a ground swell in the right position has the potential to capsize even the most stable of boats. Edit: The capsized boat still remains at the bottom measuring 80’ deep. Time to crack the books....
It looked like they were just swamped with water, and just kept sinking further and further , each wave that hit them. At one time, I had one of those pedal boats (paddle boats ), and I loved taking it out on the lake near where I lived in Western Washington. Even though it was wide, and usually pretty stable, it did not do well if the wind came up and there were heavy waves. I learned that once, and after that, I fished closer to the shore where the waves were not as strong.
What I can't understand is why all those passengers didn't have on life jackets. Like we discussed here a while back; anytime a boat is in motion, people on board should be wearing life jackets.
To reiterate, the captain told the tourists where the life jackets were located on the boat, but also told them they probably would not need one. To further, when they were in the midst of the storm, the captain ordered everyone to keep their seats which was like telling them not to go for the lifejackets. I know myself very well. I would not have sat around watching what everyone else was doing nor would I have followed the captain’s orders. I have never been known to be a follower.......
If the captain survived, I suspect he will have an unhappy future. His conscience will haunt him for the rest of his life, not to mention law suits, etc.
That’s still the confusing part and it’s all media created. The smatterings that I have read say two definitive words but give different statements associated with each one: Captain and Driver. They are two different people but some articles call the driver “Captain” Bob Williams, the man who drowned, and other articles say the Captain survived and say R. Williams, the driver drowned. Both are licensed captains I guess and one of them drowned which leaves whomever holding the bag.