The Latest: Sheriff: Four Missing From Boat Are Presumed Dead
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BRANSON, Mo. (AP) — The Latest on a deadly tourist boat accident in Missouri (all times local):
9:30 a.m.
Authorities say the four people still missing after a duck boat capsized in southern Missouri are presumed dead, in addition to the 13 people whose bodies have been recovered.
Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader described the search as a βrecovery mode for the bodies that are still missingβ during a news conference Friday morning.
Rader says the driver of the Ride the Ducks boat died but that the captain survived when the boat sank Thursday night in Table Rock Lock in the Branson area. Thirteen victims already have been found.
Rader says an off-duty deputy aboard the nearby Showboat Branson Belle and others on the riverboat jumped in to help the duck boatβs passengers. He described the rescue effort as βoutstanding.β
Branson is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City and is a popular vacation spot for families and other tourist
12:30 a.m.
A Missouri sheriff says at least 11 people have now been confirmed dead after a boat carrying tourists on a lake in a popular vacation city capsized and sank.
Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader says seven people have been hospitalized and five others remain missing. He says divers have ended their search of Table Rock Lake in Branson for the night.
The National Transportation Safety Board said on Twitter that investigators will arrive on the scene Friday morning.
Rader says stormy weather is believed to be what caused the Ride the Ducks boat to capsize Thursday night.
National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Lindenberg says the agency issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Branson area Thursday evening. He says winds reached speeds of more than 60 mph.
Branson is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City and is a popular vacation spot for families and other tourists looking for entertainment ranging from theme parks to live music.
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9:50 p.m.
A sheriff in Missouri says a tourist boat has apparently capsized on a lake, leaving eight people dead and several others hospitalized.
The Springfield News-Leader reports that Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader says the accident occurred Thursday night after a Ride the Ducks tourist boat reportedly sank on Table Rock Lake.
Rader says an off-duty sheriff’s deputy working security helped rescue people. He says recovery efforts are ongoing, with some passengers still unaccounted for.
A dive team is assisting.
Rader says weather is believed to have caused the boat to capsize.
