ST. LOUIS -- A U.S. Coast Guard inspection report shows that a Missouri tourist boat that sank last month, killing 17 people, was on the lake when the wind speed far exceeded the allowable limit.
The Coast Guard on Wednesday announced it had convened a formal Marine Board of Investigation into the accident involving the Ride the Ducks of Branson boat.
The lake was calm when the excursion began, but the weather turned violent, and the boat sank within minutes.
The Coast Guard’s certificate of inspection issued in 2017 prohibited the boat from being on water if winds exceed 35 mph or wave height exceeds 2 feet.
Investigators said the wind speed at the time of the accident was more than 70 mph.
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Among those that were killed when the duck boat sank on July 19 on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri, were nine members of the Coleman family.
Tia Coleman and her 13-year-old nephew, Donovan Hall, were also on the duck boat that capsized in Missouri. They are the only survivors of the Coleman family.
“Our hearts go out to the victims as well as the families and friends that have been impacted by this terrible tragedy that occurred in Branson,” said Capt. Wayne Arguin, chairman of the Marine Board of Investigation. “The Coast Guard will conduct a thorough and detailed investigation to identify all potential causal factors associated with this tragedy.”
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