Ride the Ducks

The company used custom-built amphibious vehicles based on the DUKW amphibious vehicle design from World War II known as "truck ducks", while some used an original DUKW chassis extended to fit them, known as "stretch ducks". All incorporated advances in marine design and safety.{{cite web |title=Our Equipment {{!}} About Us {{!}} Ride the Ducks |url=http://www.ridetheducks.com/about/equipment.asp |website=Ride the Ducks |date=February 26, 2009 |access-date=March 4, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226222052/http://www.ridetheducks.com/about/equipment.asp |archive-date=February 26, 2009 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }} Drivers were certified by the Coast Guard and hold commercial drivers' licenses, and all vehicles were equipped with personal flotation devices.{{cite web|last=Phillips |first=Bianca |url=http://www.memphisflyer.com/memphis/splashdown/Content?oid=1116355 |title=Splashdown | We Recommend |publisher=Memphis Flyer |date= |accessdate=February 18, 2013}} The company has also manufactured vehicles for other duck tour operators.{{cite web |url=http://www.ridetheducks.com/about-us.aspx |title=About Ride the Ducks |access-date=July 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100724050911/http://www.ridetheducks.com/about-us.aspx |archive-date=July 24, 2010 |url-status=dead }}

Ride the Ducks also formerly operated in a number of additional locations across the United States and one location in Guam:

• Branson, Missouri (Opened: 1977, Closed: 2018)
• Boston, Massachusetts (Under the name "Boston Duck Tours") (Opened: 1994)
• Seattle, Washington (Under the name "Ride the Ducks of Seattle") (Opened: 1997, Closed: 2020)
• Baltimore, Maryland (Opened: 2002, Closed: 2009)
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Opened: 2003, Closed: 2016)
• Stone Mountain, Georgia (Opened: 2003, Closed: 2018)
• Memphis, Tennessee (Opened: 2005, Closed: 2007)
• San Francisco, California (Opened: 2008, Closed: 2015)
• Newport, Kentucky (Opened: 2008, Closed: 2018)
• Tamuning, Guam (Opened: 2014)
• Mobile, Alabama (Under the name "Gulf Coast Ducks") (Opened: 2016, Closed: 2019)

The duck boats operated by Ride the Ducks have been involved in a number of incidents.

In July 2010, a Ride the Ducks vehicle stalled on the Delaware River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was struck by a barge being pushed by a tugboat, sinking the duck boat and killing two of the passengers, who were Hungarian tourists.{{cite news |last=Nails |first=Katherine |date=July 20, 2018 |title=The fatal history of Philly's duck boats |url=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/philadelphia/duck-boat-tour-philadelphia-missouri-accident-branson-20180720.html |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia |access-date=July 21, 2018}} The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the accident was the tugboat operator's inattention to his duties.{{cite news|last=Hoye|first=Sarah|date=May 10, 2012|title=Families of Philadelphia 'duck boat' victims get $15M settlement|url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/09/justice/pennsylvania-duck-boat-settlement/|work=CNN|accessdate=July 21, 2018}} The tugboat operator served a one-year sentence for “the maritime equivalent of involuntary manslaughter.” Six years after the accident, Ride The Ducks ceased operations in Philadelphia.{{cite news |last=Krewson |first=Chris |date=October 5, 2016 |title=Philadelphia’s ‘Ride the Ducks’ tour boats have abruptly shut down |url=https://billypenn.com/2016/10/05/philadelphias-ride-the-ducks-tour-boats-have-abruptly-shut-down/ |work=Billy Penn |location=Philadelphia |access-date=July 21, 2018}}

On September 24, 2015, a Ride the Ducks vehicle operated by an independent firm Ride the Ducks of Seattle broke an axle, crossed the center lane and crashed into a charter bus, killing five people on Seattle's Aurora Bridge. The vehicle had been purchased from the Missouri-based manufacturer, and had not undergone a recommended repair to the front axle. The Missouri firm paid a fine of $1 million.{{cite web |title=Maker of Ride the Ducks vehicle in Seattle crash to pay up to $1 million|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/ride-the-ducks-to-pay-up-to-1-million-in-penalties-for-deadly-crash/ | first=Lewis |last=Kamb |work=The Seattle Times | date=December 6, 2016}} In 2019, a jury in King County found Ride the Ducks International liable for 67% of a $123 million judgment stemming from the accident on the Aurora Bridge.{{cite web |title=Jury finds ‘Ride the Ducks’ negligent in 2015 crash that killed five people|url=https://q13fox.com/2019/02/07/jury-finds-ride-the-ducks-negligent-in-2015-crash-that-killed-five-people/ |publisher=Q13 FOX| date=February 7, 2019}}

{{main|Table Rock Lake duck boat accident}}

On July 19, 2018, a Ride the Ducks vehicle capsized and sank while in Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri, during high winds from nearby thunderstorms. 31 individuals were on board, and 17 fatalities were confirmed.{{cite news |date=July 20, 2018 |title=Branson duck boat tragedy: 17 dead, including 9 from one family |url=https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2018/07/20/branson-duck-boat-tragedy-13-now-confirmed-dead-others-injured/805818002/ |work=Springfield News-Leader |accessdate=July 20, 2018}} The day following the accident, Ride the Ducks announced that the Branson operation would be "closed for business" pending an investigation and out of respect for the victims' families.{{cite web |title=bransonducks - Ride The Ducks Branson |url=https://www.bransonducks.com/ |website=Ride The Ducks Branson |publisher=Ripley Entertainment |accessdate=July 21, 2018}} The boat involved was an original from World War II having been built in 1944. In March 2019, Ride The Ducks announced they would be permanently shut down due to the investigation and overwhelming legal issues after the incident.

A replacement attraction, Top Ops, opened in June 2019 at the same location.{{cite web|url=https://www.ozarksfirst.com/local-news/an-inside-look-at-ripleys-new-top-ops-attraction/|title=An Inside Look at Ripley’s New “Top Ops” attraction|last=Blair|first=Crystal|website=Ozarks First News|language=en|access-date=July 20, 2021}}

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Category:Amphibious vehicles

Category:Tourist attractions in Stone County, Missouri

Category:Transportation in Stone County, Missouri

Category:Transport companies established in 1977

Category:1977 establishments in Missouri