SINKING SHIP

Missouri Duck Boat Operators Charged in 2018 Sinking That Killed 17

It’s the second time the operators faced charges in the case; a federal judge dismissed felony charges in 2019, saying prosecutors lacked jurisdiction.

Missouri state prosecutors have charged three men in connection with the 2018 sinking of a duck boat that killed 17 people, including five children. Captain Kenneth Scott McKee, 54; general manager Curtis P. Lanham, 38, and manager on duty Charles V. Baltzell, 79, all of boating company Ride the Ducks, were charged with 17 counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter and 12 counts of first-degree child endangerment. Prosecutors allege the men allowed the duck boat to tour Table Rock Lake just before a large storm hit, causing the boat to sink. Five of 12 kids on board died. State prosecutors filed the charges days before the three-year statute of limitations was set to expire. Attorneys for all three told The Kansas City Star they plan to plead not guilty.

This is not the first time the men have been charged for the tragedy. A federal grand jury brought charges in 2019, but they were dismissed by a federal judge over a lack of jurisdiction. At the time, the judge said the state could bring charges.