Making a potential death trap real...
The two biggest mass casualties on water involving duck boats in the last 20 years featured crafts with overhead roof canopies that a federal agency said posed a drowning risk to passengers trying to escape from a sinking vessel.
I know that good investigative journalism seems to be a thing of the past; today’s reports seem to be focused more on emotions than facts. Having said that, if the reports are true and this recent duck-boat operator’s 'passenger safety briefing' consisted only of “the life jackets are up there, but you won’t need them” — that company might as well close their doors now…. I suspect that the lawyers are already fighting their way to the head of the line.
Again we see, summer thunderstorms demand respect!
Those old “duck-boats” have a relatively high initial stability with very little ultimate stability. They are lacking in reserve buoyancy, and that makes them a treacherous “fair weather” only vehicle, especially when used for amusement rides. Any flooding will result in a rapid catastrophic loss of stability and capsize; due to their design, passenger egress ranges from difficult to impossible. It would be extremely difficult, under those conditions, to get out of this thing while wearing a life jacket.
Sad.
/fl