Federal Judge Dismisses Charges In Fatal Branson Duck Boat Crash

A Federal Judge is dismissing some of the charges held against three employees in connection with the deadly 2018 Duck Boat accident in Branson.

The charges include neglect and misconduct, that were against the boat captain, the general manager of the boat’s operator, and the manager on duty the day the duck boat sank killing 17 people.

The three no longer face federal criminal charges, but it’s not clear whether there could be a case in state court.

Tourists from Missouri, Indiana, Illinois and Arkansas died when the fast-moving storm hit Table Rock Lake in July 2018 and the boat sank.

The judge indicated the reason for the dismissal of charges was because Table Rock is not considered a Navigable waterway and thus does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard, unlike the Lake of the Ozarks.