Royal Caribbean not responsible for overboard death of 22-year-old, jury finds

Royal Caribbean is not responsible for the death of a 22-year-old man who went overboard on one of its cruises in 2016, a federal jury found Monday, despite skipping a step in the line's own search protocol. Lisa and Todd Skokan sued Royal Caribbean after their son Nathan went overboard on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas on Dec. 22, 2016 and was never found.

Operators in Fatal Duck Boat Accident Say They Owe Families Nothing, Citing Obscure 1851 Law

Two companies that operated the Missouri tourist boat that sank during a storm in July , killing 17 people, have invoked a 19th century federal maritime law to claim that they owe no money to the victims' family members who have filed multiple lawsuits. The operators, Ripley Entertainment and Branson Duck Vehicles, filed a lawsuit in federal court on Monday, seeking to take advantage of an 1851 law that could limit their financial liability to the duck boat's value after the crash and any cargo that was on board.

‘Green News Report’ – October 4, 2018

Kav Confirm All But Certain and the SCOTUS Case Cited as a Reason for the Rush: 'BradCast' 10/5/18 Big Oil a big winner in Trump's new NAFTA deal; Two simultaneous Category 5's in the Pacific; Arctic sea ice hits new low; PLUS : Tesla's Big Battery a big hit in South Australia... Guests: AUDIT-USA's Emily Levy, attorney Chris Sautter; Also: FBI ignoring Kavanaugh witnesses, Trump mocks accuser, Americans can't wait to vote... Guest: David Dayen on new NAFTA, CA Net Neutrality, Amazon's new min wage; Also: Repubs hope to force vote, bury FBI probe on Kavanaugh... Florence 2nd wettest storm in US history; NC now fighting giant mosquitoes; Admin cites climate change to roll back fuel standards; PLUS: France calls on UN to reject U.S... Guest-host Angie Coiro's on a harrowing day in the Senate as Flake confronts history; Also: Counseling for assault survivors with Dr. Lashanda Nalls...

Florence causing ‘historic and unprecedented flooding’

Florence weakened to a tropical depression Sunday, but that is cold comfort to residents in North Carolina who have seen over 2 feet of rain and are now battling major-river flooding and possible tornadoes . "Flood waters are still raging across parts of our state, and the risk to life is rising with the angry waters," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said at a midday news conference.

Fearsome new stage begins as Florence floods inland rivers

As the death toll from Florence mounted and hundreds of people were pulled from flooded homes, North Carolina is bracing for what could be the next stage of a still-unfolding disaster: widespread, catastrophic river flooding. After blowing ashore as a hurricane with 90 mph winds, Florence virtually parked itself much of the weekend atop the Carolinas as it pulled warm water from the ocean and hurled it onshore.

Duck boat operators criticize attorney general’s lawsuit

The operators of a Missouri duck boat that sank in July, killing 17 people, say in a court filing that a lawsuit from Missouri's attorney general is "irresponsible" and "littered with factual inaccuracies and innuendo." Attorney General Josh Hawley's lawsuit filed last month accused Branson Duck Vehicles and Ripley Entertainment Inc. of violating Missouri's consumer protection law and putting profits above safety.

NTSB releases duck boat info on quick weather change

Videos recovered from the duck boat that capsized in Missouri shows how in seven minutes the boat went from gliding in calm water with children taking turns behind the wheel to distress calls from the captain as water entered the boat during a storm. A report, released Friday by the National Transportation Safety Board, shows a timeline before the boat sank in rough waters July 19 as a storm passed over Table Rock Lake, killing 17 of the 31 people aboard, including nine members of the same family.

Hundreds mourn father, children killed in sinking of duck boat

A father and three children who were among nine members of a close-knit Indiana family killed in a tourist boat accident were remembered Friday during a nearly three-hour service attended by hundreds who showed up to support their surviving relatives. Governor Eric Holcomb, first lady Janet Holcomb, and US Representative Andre Carson were among the dignitaries attending funeral services at Grace Apostolic Church for 40-year-old Glenn Coleman, 9-year-old Reece, 7-year-old Evan, and 1-year-old Arya.

McCaskill wants tighter rules on duck boats after accident

Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill announced Tuesday that she wants to enshrine into law federal recommendations to improve duck boat safety such as getting rid of canopies that can trap passengers if the vehicles sink, a move that comes after a deadly accident in Missouri. McCaskill said during a speech on the Senate floor that she is drafting legislation following the sinking of a sightseeing boat last week on Table Rock Lake near Branson that killed 17 people.

Coast Guard to Raise Missouri Tourist Boat after Deadly Sinking

The U.S. Coast Guard was preparing on Monday morning to recover the "duck boat" that sank beneath storm-whipped waves in a Missouri lake last week, drowning 17 people in one of the deadliest tourist accidents in the United States in years. After raising the World War Two-style amphibious landing craft from Table Rock Lake outside the popular vacation town of Branson, the Coast Guard said, it will hand boat over to federal investigators.

Inspector says he warned company of design flaws in duck boat last year

A private inspector said Saturday that he warned the company operating duck boats on a Missouri lake about design flaws putting the watercraft at greater risk of sinking, less than a year before the accident that killed 17 people during a sudden storm. Steve Paul, owner of the Test Drive Technologies inspection service in St. Louis, said he issued a written report for the company in August 2017.