83°F
weather icon Clear

Grand jury indicts captain of Missouri duck boat that sank

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Charges have been filed against the captain of a Missouri tourist boat that sank and killed 17 people, including nine people from an Indiana family.

A federal indictment released Thursday charges 51-year-old Kenneth Scott McKee with 17 counts of misconduct, negligence or inattention to duty by a ship’s officer, resulting in death.

The deaths occurred July 19 when an amphibious vessel known as a duck boat sank on Table Rock Lake near Branson after a sudden and severe storm rolled into southwest Missouri. The indictment alleges McKee didn’t properly assess the weather.

The dead also included people from Missouri, Arkansas and Illinois, and five were children.

The company that operated the boats, Ripley Entertainment, suspended the operation after the accident.

The U.S. Coast Guard said in August that it found probable cause the accident resulted from McKee’s “misconduct, negligence, or inattention to the duties.”

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Israeli found dead after being shot in the West Bank

An Israeli man was fatally shot in a Palestinian town in the northern West Bank Saturday morning, Israel’s army said, while deadly strikes rocked northern Gaza.

Eisenhower aircraft carrier heads home

U.S. officials ordered the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the aircraft carrier leading America’s response to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, to return home after a twice-extended tour.

Two Israeli soldiers killed in central Gaza

No information was given about the circumstances of the deaths of the two, both of whom were men in their 20s. Three other soldiers were severely injured, the army said.

UC Davis’ pro-Palestinian encampment ends

The encampments’ peaceful end comes as police have been called to dismantle tents around the state. It began May 6.

US defense official confirms Gaza pier is bringing aid ashore

The pier was reattached to Gaza’s shoreline on Wednesday, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. military operations.