Posted on 11/08/2018 10:01:01 AM PST by ColdOne
Full title.............BREAKING NEWS: Grand jury indicts captain of Missouri tourist boat that sank and killed 17 people, including nine from a single Indiana family............A federal grand jury has decided to bring charges against the captain of a Missouri tourist boat that sank in July and killed 17 people, including nine people from one Indiana family.
The federal indictment released Thursday charges 51-year-old Kenneth Scott McKee with 17 counts of misconduct, negligence or inattention to duty by a ship’s officer, resulting in death.
Each of the charges carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
That’s tough. Might have had a boss that said get out there however, a Captain is 100% responsible for his vessel.
Bit of an embarrassment doing all the work to become a Captain and then end up driving a duck boat around a lake.
Captain is a loosely used word to describe the person in charge of the boat, licensed or not.
The only boats I’ll get inn is a ferry from one island to another
Otherwise I drive my own car and pilot my own boats at all times
One thing I am not certain on is if regular civil and criminal law liabilities apply or if this is under the umbrella of maritime law.
That adds up to 170 years. That should do the trick.
“That adds up to 170 years. That should do the trick.”
But not for those who died!
Sounds like you are a Monday morning quarterback. This was such a freak storm and accident. I’m afraid this guy might be getting railroaded.
At the first sign of the storm he should have instructed all his passengers to don life jackets and turned back. He did neither.
Why am I reading this in an English newspaper instead of an American one?
Read my comments just below yours.
Anyone working for or with the public takes a huge risk for their own life in todays world. I’m so glad to be out of it now!
You are right. The captain shouldn't be scapegoated when there is plenty of blame to go around.
If he's not a real captain, it's kind of deceptive having him dress in a uniform.
http://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=054-09&category=captains-license-info
Captains' License Information
Why You Need a LicenseLicenses are required in order to legally carry passengers for hire. This includes charters for fishing, sightseeing, diving, transportation, teaching or any use which is considered a “passenger for hire” situation. Many companies require them for boat deliveries.
GOOD!, Maybe this will require this industry to make public SAFETY their FIRST priority.
The main problem was with the boat(s) itself. A real captain would never pilot such a dangerous craft in ANY conditions. (can you say “death trap”?)
Not to mention during a storm watch. Just looking at photos of these craft, you can tell they are not seaworthy or “pond” worthy.
Very little freeboard. Inadequate pumps for the likelihood of taking on water. Passengers TRAPPED under canopy.
” Hersman notes that the duck boat in yesterday’s incident also had a hard canopy roof as well as clear, plastic windows to protect passengers from wind and rain when it went down, which may have made it more difficult for those on board to escape. In addition, she says, investigators have flagged problems with the buoyancy of duck boats.”
“ROBERT MONGELUZZI: Duck boats are death traps.”
A REAL boat would not have sunk even in that weather. REAL boats, even pleasure craft, have to be seaworthy. Manufacturers EXPECT that you may encounter bad weather, DUH!
The CARELESS, CRIMINAL, operation of these boats is a disgrace.
Make “Duckboats” the Corvair of the boating industry.
“Unsafe in ANY weather”
Captain (or someone on staff) apparently told them NOT to put on their life jackets...
“Why am I reading this in an English newspaper instead of an American one?”
Perhaps in part, since “journalism” is dead, in America?
An inflatable life vest activated by a lanyard allows escape from a confined space through a tight opening. An initially deflated vest allows swimming or other effort in order to reach an exit point, which buoyancy might otherwise make impossible.
Foam filled life vests were present to satisfy a check point on an inspection list. The inspection criteria didn’t realistically appraise the special hazards inherent in the vessel design, or the impact of modifications from original military design which hindered escape from the cabin.
I remember at the time of the accident, people speculated having on a life jacket would have made it even more likely to get pushed up against the canopy and get trapped under it.
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