(ST. LOUIS) — A federal grand jury has indicted the captain of a tourist duck boat that sank near Branson, Mo., during a strong summer storm. Seventeen passengers died in the accident, which occurred July 19 in Table Rock Lake.
According to Reuters, Kenneth Scott McKee, 51, of Verona, Mo., has been charged with misconduct, negligence and inattention to duty for his role in the sinking of Stretch Duck 7. McKee could race up to 10 years in prison for each of the 17 counts, the news agency reported.
Stretch Duck 7 had 29 passengers and two crew on board when it sank at about 1910 on July 19, a few hundred yards from shore. Eyewitness videos taken before the sinking show the vessel owned by Ripley Entertainment Inc. struggling to make headway amid wind and waves.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident but has not yet determined the cause.
Click here to read the Reuters report on McKee's indictment.
