A federal grand jury charged the captain of a duck boat that sank on Missouri’s Table Rock Lake with misconduct, negligence and inattention to duty in the accident that claimed 17 lives, the Kansas City Star reports. Kenneth Scott McKee, who captained the Stretch Duck 7 boat on July 19, is accused of a litany of violations of federal law overseeing boat captains, including not properly assessing incoming weather before taking the boat out on water, operating the boat in conditions that violate the U.S. Coast Guard’s certificate of inspection, not telling passengers to use flotation devices, and not speeding up to head to the nearest shore as severe weather approached;
Jeffrey Goodman, a lawyer representing several victims in lawsuits against Ripley Entertainment and other defendants, said the indictment “highlights the outrageousness of the decision to operate the death-trap duck boat in an apparent attempt to beat a widely and accurately forecasted storm. Our clients fully support today’s action and the continuing work of the prosecutors to punish the individuals and companies involved.” The daughter of victim William Asher, 69, of St. Louis, said she and her siblings were relieved to learn about the indictment. “While it is tough to be reminded of the tragic ordeal, my brother, sister and I believe the government is taking its responsibility seriously to protect the public from these dangerous boats,” said Jennifer Asher.