At least 17 people, including children, died after a boat carrying tourists on a Missouri lake capsized and sank Thursday night, the local sheriff said.Nine people who died were from the same family.
The risk of heavy weather was apparent hours before the boat left shore.
Another seven people were hospitalized and an unknown number were missing after the accident on Table Rock Lake, Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader told a news conference.
Divers are in the water looking for people, he said.
He said 31 people had been aboard the vessel, known as a duck boat because it has wheels that allow it to ride on land as well.
Divers found four more bodies in Table Rock Lake, bringing the death toll to 17 after a duck boat capsized and sank in stormy weather.
Twenty-nine passengers and two crew members were aboard for a pleasure cruise. Seven of the 14 survivors were hurt when the vessel went down. At least two children and two adults were still hospitalized Friday afternoon. The captain survived, authorities said.
Among the injured was 14-year-old Loren Smith of Osceola, Arkansas. Her father, 53-year-old retired math teacher Steve, Smith, and her 15-year-old brother, Lance, died in the accident. Loren suffered a concussion but survived.
The man-made lake is a popular tourist draw located in southern Missouri on the border with Arkansas.
Duck boats, known for their ability to travel on land and in water, have been involved in other deadly incidents in the past. They include one in 2015 in Seattle in which five college students were killed when a boat collided with a bus, and one in 1999 that left 13 people dead after the boat sank near Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Safety advocates have sought improvements to the boats since the Arkansas incident. Critics argued that part of the problem is numerous agencies regulate the boats with varying safety requirements.
Duck boats were originally used by the U.S. military in World War II to transport troops and supplies, and later were modified for use as sightseeing vehicles.
