Rescue divers on Friday retrieved the bodies of 17 people who died after a storm caused the boat they were travelling in to capsize in Table Rock Lake in Missouri, United States, on Thursday, Reuters reported. Fourteen of the 31 people on board the tourist “duck boat” survived.
Nine of the deceased victims were from the same family.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson said seven of the survivors sustained injuries and that one of them was in a serious condition. “Emergency responders and civilian rescuers helped avert an even worse tragedy as people rushed to help in extremely dangerous conditions,” Parson said in a statement.
Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said there were life jackets on board the vessel, but did not specify if the passengers were wearing them.
The accident has been described as one of the deadliest tourist-related accidents in years. More than 36 people have died in incidents involving duck boats on land and water in the United States over the last 20 years, Reuters reported.
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