Down With Duck Boats? Former US Safety Board Official Slams Them

BOSTON, MA — Duck boats. The quacky amphibious military vehicles re-purposed for tourists are as much a go-to tourist event in Beantown as a visit to Faneuil Hall or a meander around the Public Garden. But they are also increasingly controversial.

Following last week's sinking of a duck boat on a lake near Branson, MO, killing 17 people, the former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board is calling for the boats to be banned for commercial recreational use, according to the Associated Press.

James Hall said this weekend duck boats don't belong in the private sector.

The design of the boats, he said Saturday, makes them prone to the kind of accidents that led to the sinking of a duck boat Thursday.

Hall said the vessels are not designed for passenger use and he doesn’t believe there is a way to make them safe, particularly in bad weather. The boats were originally designed as military vehicles for assaults on beaches.

Boston Duck Tours, the company behind Boston's duck boats, expressed sympathy last week for the families of those who were lost. It also tried to reassure the public that its iconic duck boats only go into the Charles River when conditions are safe to do so.

Boston Duck Tours instituted more safety measures following a 2016 crash that killed a 28-year-old woman who was riding a moped.

Since 1999, duck boats have been linked to the deaths of more than 40 people across the country. Critics point out height can obscure cars, pedestrians or bicycles from a driver's view, and maintenance problems and the canopy can cause issues on the water, particularly in bad weather.

Boston Duck Tours Comments On Missouri Tragedy

>>>Related: More Than A Dozen Dead In Missouri Duck Boat Tragedy

Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch