Danger at Table Rock Lake

About 35 minutes after leaving its dock near Branson, Missouri, Ride the Ducks Stretch Duck 7, a modified World War II amphibious craft, began foundering and taking on water. Steep waves and 65 mph winds from a derecho (inland hurricane) on Table Rock Lake overwhelmed the Ripley Entertainment boat that July afternoon in 2018. As a result, 16 of the 31 passengers on board, as well as one of two crew members, drowned when the boat capsized. This accident and others across the U.S. threaten to shutter duck boat attractions, some of which have been in continuous operation since the mid-1940s. This tragic incident has left Ripley Entertainment in a quandary: should they continue to operate?—and if yes—how can they do so safely? Chair: Andrew Borchers, andy.borchers@lipscomb.edu Discussant: Gary Powell, powellg@queens.edu Discussant: Kristi M. Bockorny , kristi.bockorny@northern.edu Scribe: Anandi Banerjee, banerjeea@queens.edu