The amphibious vehicle sank with 31 people on board, leaving 17 dead, during high winds associated with nearby severe thunderstorms as part of a significant derecho and tornado outbreak.

[8] The vehicles became available in surplus after the Korean War, and a veteran in Minnesota began a business giving rides aboard the vessels to tourists on the Wisconsin River.

Several major tourist destinations in the United States feature duck boat tours, including Austin, Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.[9] Before the Table Rock Lake accident, there had been several other fatal incidents involving duck boats,[10] notably one near Hot Springs, Arkansas, on May 1, 1999,[11][12] in which 13 people died.

The accident occurred shortly after 7 p.m. Central Daylight Time on July 19, 2018, as a line of severe thunderstorms approached the Branson area.

[22] In response to previous incidents involving duck boats, the NTSB had issued strong warnings about the design of the vehicles and the danger posed to passengers by their overhead canopies.

[23][24][25] Tia Coleman lost nine family members in the accident; she claimed that the crew specifically told passengers not to put on life jackets because they would not need them.

[26] Jim Pattison Jr., president of Ripley Entertainment (who bought the Ride the Ducks Branson location in 2017),[27][28] told the media that the storm "came out of nowhere",[29] then moved through the area and led to the accident.

[36] The safety report also found that a fixed canopy and closed side curtain impeded passenger escape and likely caused more deaths.

[39] In September 2020, a federal magistrate judge recommended dismissing the criminal charges against the three men indicted, reasoning that "Table Rock Lake is not considered a navigable waterway under admiralty law", and the case should be handled at the state level.

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt said "we're disappointed in the court's decision", and our office hopes to refile charges and continue this case.

The suit accused Ride the Ducks of ignoring warnings that had been issued about the weather prior to the accident and continuing to use boats with design flaws that made them susceptible to sinking.