The company that owns the Ride the Ducks tour said Monday on its website that it is offering to pay all related medical bills and funeral expenses for the victims of Thursday’s sinking. Of the 31 on board the boat, 17 died when it sank in a thunderstorm.
“Today, we continue to focus our efforts on the families,” a statement on the company’s website said Monday. “We are offering to pay for all related medical bills and funeral expenses, return all personal items from the rescue scene, and assist with any related travel or accommodations that will help the families in their time of need. An event like this deeply touches everyone and we are also providing grief counseling to our employees who have been affected by this tragic accident.”
The statement comes as the wreck of the boat was pulled from about 80 feet of water in Table Rock Lake on Monday morning.
The Ride the Ducks Branson website also stated it was “fully cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Highway Patrol and all federal and state authorities involved in the investigation.”
The company announced shortly after the sinking that it was shutting down until further notice.
Here is the complete statement from the Ride the Ducks Branson website:
We remain deeply saddened by the tragic accident that occurred at Ride the Ducks Branson. Our focus from the start has been on the guests, families, and employees who were affected last Thursday.
Today, we continue to focus our efforts on the families. We are offering to pay for all related medical bills and funeral expenses, return all personal items from the rescue scene, and assist with any related travel or accommodations that will help the families in their time of need. An event like this deeply touches everyone and we are also providing grief counseling to our employees who have been affected by this tragic accident.
We are fully cooperating with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Highway Patrol and all federal and state authorities involved in the investigation. The investigation is being managed by the NTSB. Because we are a party to the NTSB investigation, we are not allowed to comment on any aspect of it. However, our job is to cooperate and provide information to those officials and to comfort the families of those affected by this tragic event.
Thank you for your support, and we continue to ask that your thoughts and prayers be with the families during this difficult time.
