Families of the 17 people who died when their duck boat sank in Table Rock Lake near Branson, Mo., earlier this month have sued the operating company, Ripley Entertainment, for $100 million.
The federal lawsuit was filed Sunday by family members of the nine passengers from Indiana who died when the boat sank during a tour July 19.
“This tragedy was the predictable and predicted result of decades of unacceptable, greed-driven, and willful ignorance of safety by the Duck Boat industry in the face of specific and repeated warnings that their Duck Boats are death traps for passengers and pose grave danger to the public on water and on land,” the lawsuit against Ripley’s Ride the Ducks Branson states.
Five children and a dozen adults drowned after the boat was taken out despite its crew “being aware of impending severe weather conditions” and not offering refunds in light of the weather conditions.
The passengers were told during a safety briefing at the start of the ride that they would not need their life jackets, the suit states. It adds that the boat’s canopy contributed to the riders being forced under when the craft took on water.
Ripley has also been accused of knowing about flaws within this type of boat and not tending to them.
“Prior to killing seventeen people in Branson, injuring fourteen others, and ruining the lives of countless more, defendants had been told that design flaws in the duck boats made them more susceptible to sinking,” the suit said.
