Branson duck boat recovered from lake

Coast Guard crews recovered the Ride the Ducks boat from Table Rock Lake Monday morning. The boat was under 80 feet of water, and the Coast Guard was able to de-water the boat and move it onto a ramp. Coast Guard Captain Scott Stoermer said the next step is to move the boat to a secure facility to continue the investigation.

“One of the focuses of the investigation certainly is to determine the vessel’s condition throughout the casualty,” Stoermer said.

The boat has been at the bottom of Table Rock Lake since it sank Thursday night, killing 17 people, including five children.

Missouri law states a personal floatation device must be on board a water craft for each person on board.

The Coast Guard will continue its investigation, which includes the condition of the duck boat as well as what the captain of the boat told passengers in relation to safety before going out onto the water.

A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety board should be released in a few weeks.