Duck Boat Tourist Attraction Collision In Philadelphia With At Least 37 Adults and Children Aboard With 2 Missing - Was This Preventable?
A famous Philadelphia tourist attraction duck boat packed with tourists on a steamy July afternoon crashed at approximately 2:30 p.m. sending 37 adults and children into the Delaware River. At the time of this writing two passengers are missing, a 17-year girl and a 19-year old man and marine units are searching the river with sonar equipment. The Coast Guard has recovered 35 individuals. According to witness Talmadge Robinson, the duck boat was stopped on the river when the collision occurred. The witness was sitting ashore when he saw the barge approaching the immobile and disabled duck Boat. There was a loud bang as the duck Boat was literally “a sitting duck”. People were screaming. According to the witness, the tug boat had enough time to avoid the Duck Boat. Many of the children swam to the Camden side, not wearing life jackets, and were rescued by the police. According to witness Norman Sevara, age 41, the duck Boat hit the barge “It hit pretty hard and pulled the boat under. It went straight under.” Eight of the passengers were taken to the hospital for treatment. The striking barge named “The Resource” was owned by K-Sea Transportation and was being pushed by a tug on its port side. The duck boat is operated by “Ride The Ducks” which began operating in Philadelphia in 2003 and operates 15 duck boats in the city and operates about 90 vessels in several cities including Atlanta, Baltimore, Memphis, and Branson, Missouri. “Ride the Ducks” is owned by the Herschend Family Entertainment Company which is located near Atlanta and operates Camden’s Adventure Aquarium, The Dollywood Theme Park, as well as many other water adventure parks. In a 1999 accident another amphibious tour boat The Miss Majestic sank and killed 13 passengers in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this tragic and seemingly preventable accident. We wish all the victims the best for a speedy and complete recovery and will keep them in our prayers.
Based upon a news report, it appears that the operator of the barge and tug could be at fault and if it is determined that they caused this accident, they could be held liable for injuries and damages caused to the victims. All of the victims and their families would be well advised to consult with an experienced Pennsylvania personal injury and Pennsylvania boating and watercraft accident attorney who could advise them about their legal rights and options. In such cases, accident victims can seek compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages, costs of hospitalization and other related damages. For a free no obligation consultation, please contact one of our experienced attorneys at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com. Our record of success speaks for itself.
