[Davy Crocket]

Were they wearing life preservers?

[Ikeon]

The water is COLD!!! just speculating... if the boat capsized, a life perserver is the last thing you want on.

[madison10]

I looked up Duck Boats earlier. There were pictures from Branson. I did not see lifepreservers. These were just touristy photos.

[cotton1706]

I’ve been on a Duck Boat here in Boston and we didn’t wear life preservers. I assume they’re there if the boat sinks.

But the boat flipped too fast. There wasn’t time.

[Ikeon]

The video on the link is horrible. enclosed cabin, They were probably trapped inside

[Flaming Conservative]

I wondered if they had on life vests, but even if they were, the boat, which is really heavy, probably knocked some of them in th head. And they might have had on some kind of seatbelt, that prevented them from getting out from under it.

[TomGuy]

Were they wearing life preservers?

Click on the article and get:

NINE members of the same family are among 17 killed in duck-boat tragedy, as survivors reveal how they were TRAPPED inside the boat as it sank and were 'sucked' under as they tried to swim away

DailyMail.UK always saturates their articles with video and numerous pix.

[roadcat]

Were they wearing life preservers?

No, the driver told passengers they wouldn't need them, according to the link. By the time the troubles started, too late to get to them and put them on.

For us, I don't care what they say, we're putting on life-vests if we're out on the water. Anything can happen. I do so when out fishing on boats, because there are other reckless boaters around that can make accidents happen.

[uncbob]

Were they wearing life preservers?

Wife and I rode them back in 93

Can't remember about the life preservers

[DownInFlames]

No

[SkyDancer]

Don’t think so. I went with my dad to Branson for a Vietnam welcome home parade a few years ago and did this duck adventure. No life preservers were issued; basically you got on the duck and it drove to a few yards back from entering the river. Then the driver would hit the pedal and the duck would launch out into the river - heck of a ride there. Anyway they’d just stooge around and drive back. It appears a storm sprung up real quick and perhaps a tornado or strong gale force wind swamped the duck.

[Jane Long]

I heard, on Fox earlier, that they had been told by captain/driver there was no need to put on life preservers :(

[BenLurkin]

According to Fox affiliate WXIN, Tia was told that she was told by the boat’s captain, who survived, not to worry about the life jackets.

“My husband would want me to say this — he would want the world to know that on this boat we were on, the captain had told us ‘don’t worry about grabbing the life jackets — you won’t need them’ so nobody grabbed them as we listened to the captain as he told us to stay seated,” Tia Coleman said.

https://www.theroot.com/9-members-of-the-same-family-killed-in-freak-boat-accid-1827772250