WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator Clair McCaskill introduced new legislation Tuesday to improve the safety of duck boats, mandating recommendations originally proposed by federal safety investigators.
Those investigators made their original recommendations after the 13 people were killed when a duck boat sank on an Arkansas lake in 1999.
Those recommendations included requiring amphibious passenger vessels to be equipped to stay afloat in the event of flooding, and additional interim measures such as removal of canopies and increased inspections until all vessels are upgraded.
McCaskill’s legislation would require duck boats to increase buoyancy, remove canopies
“Nearly 20 years ago following a similar incident, recommendations were made to help prevent tragedies like we experienced in Branson but they were largely ignored,” McCaskill said. “It’ll take some time before we know exactly what went wrong in Branson, but there’s absolutely no reason to wait to take this commonsense step.”
To read the full bill click here.
