Posted on 07/07/2010 12:46:41 PM PDT by End Times Sentinel
A duck boat packed with tourists crashed into a barge on the Delaware River this afternoon soon after it entered the water at Penns Landing, police said.
The collision, at about 2:40 p.m., sent at least 27 people into the river off Columbus Boulevard near Chestnut Street.
The Coast Guard said 37 people were aboard. Thirty-five were recovered. The Coast Guard was still searching for two passengers at 3:30 p.m.
Witness Eric Scharpf, a tourist from Phoenix, Az., told CBS3 that the duck boat had apparently stalled when it was rammed by the barge. The barge "tore it apart," Scharpf said.
Another witness told CBS3 that the barge "just pushed it right under the water" and tourists popped out on either side of the barge.
The barge was being pushed by a tug on its port side.
Rescue boats pulled individuals wearing life vests from the water.
Tourists board the boats at Independence Mall and after touring Old City they enter the river for a brief tour at a ramp just south of the Ben Franklin Bridge.
Ride the Ducks operates 15 duck boats in city. The city Streets Department licenses the boats for loading and unloading on the street.
In 1999, an amphibious tour boat sank and killed 13 passengers in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
The Inquirer will post more details as they become available.
Tribune7
Ping
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Yeah, it’s rather difficult to stop a huge barge.
It reminds me of when I took friends to the Lake, and offered to let them drive the boat. They would ask, “where is the brake”?
I had forgotten that. Me and my family were in Hot Springs in 2005. We rode the ducks then. We enjoyed the ride.
Hope they find the last two riders here. Alive and safe.
When driving down Delaware ave. and seeing these things go into the river, I always thought it was an unnecessary risk.
Hah! LOL!
I’ve been asked the same question. I’ve told them to throw out the anchors.
No brake, but many have reverse which can be used to slow down, but you cannot bring any boat to a hard stop unless you hit something or run aground.
Here is some further information on the DUKW:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DUKW
One of the more interesting items in the article is that the DUKW designation is not military, it’s General Motors.
If the DUKW lost propulsion, then it was not under command, therefore it was the priveleged vessel.
However, what did the Captain of the DUKW do to signal his dilemma?
Make a securite’ call or pan-pan on VHF?
Hoist day shapes or a distress flag?
Fire a pyrotechnic signal?
If any or all of these were done, then where was the watch on the towing vessel?
Also, what does their certificate of inspection specify for their operating parameters? I’m sure it restricts them to within a certain distance from the shoreline. Was the DUKW outside of this parameter before it lost propulsion?
In short, there are a whole lot of things that the CG and NTSB will be looking into. It is way too soon to make any conclusions.
Prayers for the missing. Eternal Father Strong to Save.
Some would say that driving is an unnecessary risk. Without some risk, life would be pretty damn dull. My daughter and granddaughter did the ducky tour in Pittsburgh just last week and had a great time. They even let my granddaughter (3 years old) 'pilot' the duck for a little bit when it was in the river. She loved it.
Prayers for the folks on that duck.
Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd’st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard
And hushed their raging at Thy word,
Who walkedst on the foaming deep,
And calm amidst its rage didst sleep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
And bid its angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild confusion, peace;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger’s hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe’er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.
I do believe the slip and fall lawyers are already at the hospitals. They usually beat the politicians by a mile.
A whale-watching ferry carrying about 100 passengers (mostly tourists) ran aground in Boston Harbor a few days ago.The ferry was trying to go around a barge that was being towed out of the harbor and ran into an outcropping of rocks called “The Devils Back”.
Injuries were minor,but the damage was substantial enough that all aboard had to be taken off.
This was the third incident this company has had.
Amen,16 year old female and 20 year old male missing,boat was on fire ,was hit and sunk.Live on Fox 29.
I understand. For me, floating around in an ancient duck in a huge port that has ocean going traffic is an unnecessary risk.
I did hear that it was a "City barge"(which tells me why no one was watching or cared where they were going)
Delaware is swift & strange when the tide gets going, very few who are not found right away survive.
The rivers flows in both directions twice a day.
Fox 29 said it a few times.The crazy thing is not everyone had their life jacket’s on.They found both bodies today.
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