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U.S. NEWS Friday 9 November 2018
Missouri tour boat captain indicted after sinking kills 17

By MARGARET STAFFORD torney's Office is fighting for on a trip through Branson,
Associated Press justice for my family, and which is about 170 miles
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — the other victims, and is (274 kilometers) northwest
The captain of a tourist committed to holding fully of Little Rock, Arkansas. The
boat that sank in southwest accountable all those re- amphibious vehicle then
Missouri and killed 17 peo- sponsible for this tragedy," traveled to Table Rock
ple, including nine mem- Coleman said. Lake for a short excursion
bers of an Indiana family, The other people killed in- on water.
didn't tell passengers to put cluded two couples from Weather was calm when
on flotation devices or pre- Missouri, an Illinois woman the vessel known as a
pare them to abandon ship who died while saving her Stretch Duck 7 began its
even after waves crashed granddaughter's life, an trip on July 19, but inves-
into the boat during a se- Arkansas father and son, tigators have contended
vere storm, according to and a retired pastor who that operators had ample
an indictment released was the boat's operator on warning that a strong storm Tim Garrison, right, United States Attorney for the Western Dis-
Thursday. land. was approaching. trict of Missouri, speaks during a press conference on Thursday,
Nov. 8, 2018 in Springfield, Mo., about the indictments against
The federal indictment Several lawsuits have been The vessel's certificate of Kenneth Scott McKee, the captain of a duck boat that sank on
shows Kenneth Scott McK- filed on behalf of victims inspection issued by the Table Rock Lake in July, killing 17 people.
ee faces 17 counts of mis- and survivors against Ripley Coast Guard in 2017 estab- Associated Press
conduct, negligence or in- Entertainment and other lished rules and limitations
attention to duty by a ship's companies involved with on when it could be on the Garrison said McKee violat- ers, showed that the lake
officer resulting in death. the manufacture and op- water. It states the boat ed those limitations when was calm when the boat
The deaths occurred af- eration of the boats. Rob- "shall not be operated wa- he put the boat into the entered the water. But the
ter the duck boat, a refur- ert Mongeluzzi, an attorney terborne" when winds ex- lake. weather suddenly turned
bished amphibious ves- representing Coleman and ceed 35 mph and/or wave Video and audio from the violent. Within minutes, the
sel originally used by the several others, said he's heights exceed 2 feet. boat, recovered by div- boat sank.q
military during World War II, confident the federal in-
sank during a storm in July . vestigation will go beyond
U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison McKee.
said the 51-year-old McKee The U.S. Coast Guard had
also is accused of failing to found probable cause
properly assess the weather that the accident resulted
before and after the boat from McKee's "misconduct,
went into Table Rock Lake negligence, or inattention
near Branson, a Midwest- to the duties," according
ern tourist town known for to an August court filing.
country music shows and The U.S. attorney's office
entertainment venues. said the captain of a sec-
"This is the beginning, not ond duck boat that safely
the end, of our efforts in this made it to shore during the
matter," Garrison said dur- storm acted in a "grossly
ing a news conference in negligent manner," though
Springfield, adding that he the court filing didn't elabo-
couldn't release specifics rate on those findings.
about the investigation. A spokeswoman for Ripley
Ripley Entertainment, the Entertainment has repeat-
company that operated edly declined to comment
the boats and suspended on the investigation but has
the operation following the said the company has co-
accident, didn't respond to operated with authorities.
messages from The Associ- On Thursday, Garrison said
ated Press. McKee's attor- McKee violated conditions
ney declined comment. specified in the boat's cer-
If convicted, McKee could tificate of inspection by
face up to 10 years in pris- failing to tell passengers to
on for each count and a put on personal floatation
fine of $250,000. Garrison devices and not immedi-
said he expects McKee to ately increasing speed and
surrender. driving to the nearest shore,
Tia Coleman — whose hus- according to the indict-
band, three young chil- ment.
dren and five other family The indictment also alleges
members died in the sink- McKee allowed the boat's
ing — released a state- plastic side curtains to be
ment Thursday saying she lowered, which blocked
was pleased an indictment the exits, and didn't instruct
had been filed. Coleman passengers to put on flo-
was among 14 people who tation devices or prepare
survived the sinking. them to abandon ship
"While nothing can ever even after the bilge alarm
ease the grief in my heart, I sounded twice.
am grateful that the U.S. At- The vessel first took tourists