JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — More than four years after a tourist boat sank on Table Rock Lake killing 17 passengers, Congress has approved a set of stricter safety regulations for the vessels.
As part of a massive national defense funding measure approved in the U.S. Senate Thursday, duck boat operators like the ones involved in the Branson sinking would have to require passengers to wear life jackets and boost the buoyancy standards for the amphibious vehicles.
It also requires the World War II-era vehicles, which can travel on land and water, to have removable canopies that make it easier for passengers to escape during a crisis.
The law, which is expected to be signed by President Joe Biden, also calls for boat captains to "proceed to the nearest harbor or safe refuge" if a warning is issued for high wind speeds.
The measure, sponsored by Missouri's two U.S. senators, has been languishing in Congress for three years.
In a tweet, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican who was attorney general when the incident occurred, said Friday he was "delighted" the provisions were included in the final version of the bill.
Investigators said the operators of the Ride the Ducks operation in Branson failed to heed severe weather reports when one of its boats entered the lake during a tour of the area.
None of the 31 people on board was wearing a life jacket when heavy winds pushed water into the vehicle, sending it to the bottom of the lake.
Sixteen passengers and one crew member died. There were 14 survivors.
Ripley Entertainment — which offered the duck boat rides — faced a slew of lawsuits from family members and survivors.
The Missouri attorney general's office also has refiled involuntary manslaughter charges against three men in connection with the sinking.
On April 5, Stone County Judge Alan Blankenship dismissed first-degree involuntary manslaughter charges against Kenneth Scott McKee, 54, the captain of the boat; Curtis P. Lanham, 39, the general manager at Ride the Ducks in Branson; and Charles V. Baltzell, 79, the operations supervisor who was a manager on duty when the boat sank.
Two days later, attorneys for the state refiled 17 involuntary manslaughter charges against each of the men. McKee also faces 12 counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Attorneys for the three defendants have argued that the men were not aware of the severity of the storm and did not intentionally put their passengers in danger. When he dismissed the charges, Blankenship said there was no evidence the men knew about the strong winds associated with the storm.
