Duck boat operator cared more about profits than safety, Missouri’s attorney general says in lawsuit
BRANSON MO NEWS: A Ride the Ducks Branson amphibious vessel capsized and sank July 19 on a lake near Branson, Missouri, as a severe thunderstorm whipped up intense winds and waves. The victims, aged 1 to 76, were not wearing life jackets, officials said.In a lawsuit filed Friday under the state’s consumer protection law, Hawley asked a Taney County circuit court judge to keep Ripley Entertainment and Branson Duck Vehicles LLC from operating the duck boats statewide.Hawley claims Ripley Entertainment and Branson Duck Vehicles have “been on notice for decades of ongoing safety hazards that posed a present and deadly danger to every person who boarded a duck boat.” But they did not notify passengers of the dangers, the filing states, and falsely assured them “that safety was a top priority when in actuality it was their own profits.”The crew decided to take the vessel into the water and skipped a driven tour along city streets despite the weather forecast “so that the ‘Adventure’ would be complete and no refunds would have to be provided,” the lawsuit says.In Branson, duck boats are driven along city streets for part of the tour before the driver hands off to a captain who uses a ramp to enter the lake.”This tragedy should not have happened,” Hawley said. “As Missouri’s top law enforcement officer, I am charged with protecting Missouri consumers. My hope is that this lawsuit will ensure that unsafe duck boats and companies who put profits ahead of safety will not continue to operate. Consumers have a reasonable expectation of safety and that was not met on July 19.” Suzanne Smagala, a spokeswoman for Ripley Entertainment, declined to comment on the lawsuit and the ongoing investigation. She also said the company is fully cooperating with federal and state authorities.”We are providing all documentation …
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