Duck Boat Captain Indicted In Missouri Lake Accident That Killed 17

Duck boats sit idle in the parking lot of Ride the Ducks days after the accident in July in Branson, Mo. Kenneth Scott McKee, the captain and operator of a boat that sank on July 19, was charged on Thursday with criminal misconduct and negligence resulting in 17 deaths on Table Rock Lake.

Charlie Riedel / AP

A federal grand jury on Thursday handed up an indictment for criminal negligence and misconduct against the captain and operator of the duck boat that sank on Table Rock Lake in Missouri, killing 17 people over the summer.

Kenneth Scott McKee was piloting the amphibious boat when it sank in a sudden violent storm on July 19. He is charged with 17 counts of misconduct, negligence and inattention to duty by a ship’s officer, U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison announced at a news conference.

“Each of the 17 counts in this indictment represents a life that was lost when Stretch Duck 7 sank while being piloted by Mr. McKee,” Garrison said.