Normal temperatures are expected the next couple days with highs in the upper 80s to right around 90 but, with low humidity it should still feel pretty comfortable. However, as we get into the second half of the work week and into the weekend, rain chances will increase and temperatures may feel more like early Fall than the middle of Summer. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 88. North wind 6 to 9 mph.
Tonight: Clear, with a low around 63. North wind 5 to 9 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 7 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Thursday: A chance of showers before 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. North wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 83.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Saturday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers after 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 81.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission recently approved a contract to replace the Platte River Bridge on Route O near Cosby.
Widel, Inc. of Blackwater, Missouri, was awarded a contract to replace the 57-year-old bridge after submitting the lowest qualifying bid of $1,360,168.84. The new bridge and bridge rail will meet current standards, allowing current weight-limit restrictions to be removed. The new bridge will also be wider with two-foot shoulders. The new bridge is expected to be complete and open to travelers in 2019.
For more information on this and other MoDOT projects, call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636) or visit modot.org/northwest.
With the election coming up, there will be an opportunity in Savannah for voters to learn more about the candidates.
Savannah Chamber of Commerce Director Mary Ingersoll said they will be putting on a candidate forum this week.
“All of the contested races in our state representative primary, as well as any of our county races that are contested in this primary will be a part of this forum,” Ingersoll said. “So we are looking forward to a really good, informational evening.”
The candidate forum takes place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday at the Clasbey Community Center in Savannah. For more information, click here.
The first part of the week will be seasonal and dry with highs in the upper 80s and lows in the mid 60s. The later half of the week the pattern will start to become more active with multiple rain chance and cooler than average temperatures leading into the weekend. There is still some uncertainty in getting the precipitation Thursday and Friday keeping the chances below 40% for much of the area. This will change going into the weekend with rain looking more likely, especially Saturday night into Sunday. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65. North wind 5 to 8 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 89. North wind 5 to 9 mph.
Tuesday Night: Clear, with a low around 63. North wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 83. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 81.
Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Intersection of Frederick and Noyes. Photo by Melissa Gregory
(UPDATE 10:50 p.m.) Two drivers were arrested after two separate crashes at the intersection of Frederick and Noyes Sunday evening.
According to the St. Joseph Police Department, the first crash around 8:30 p.m. involved two vehicles and resulted in minor injuries. One of the drivers was taken into custody for investigative charges of DWI.
While emergency crews and police were still on scene, shortly after 9 p.m., a hit and run took place in the intersection. There were no injuries and a driver was taken into custody for investigative charges of DWI.
Police say the area has been cleared and the intersection is back open to normal traffic.
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The intersection of Frederick and Noyes is partially closed due to a two vehicle crash Sunday evening.
According to a witness, two cars were involved in a crash around 8:30 p.m. As of 9:15 p.m., the intersection was still partially closed.
Shortly after 9 p.m., a separate hit and run took place in the intersection as emergency crews were still in the area working on the first crash.
We will update this post as we learn more information.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The following is a listing of general highway maintenance and construction work in the Northwest Missouri region planned for the week of July 23 – 29 from the Missouri Department of Transportation.
In addition to the work listed below, there may be pothole patching, mowing, shoulder work, bridge maintenance, striping, brush cutting, guardrail repairs, litter pick up and other road work conducted throughout the region. Many of these will be moving operations and could include lane closures with delays. All scheduled maintenance and construction projects are subject to change.
MoDOT reminds the public to stay alert, watch for road work, buckle up, slow down, and drive with extreme caution through work zones and in changing weather conditions.
For more information about a project, please contact MoDOT at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (888-275-6636) or visit modot.org/northwest. You can also follow MoDOT’s Northwest Missouri District on Twitter @ModotNorthwest and on Facebook.
Andrew County
Interstate 29 – Bridge deck replacement project at the Nodaway River Bridge. Traffic is head-to-head in the northbound lanes. This traffic pattern will be in place through August and includes a 13-foot width restriction.
U.S. Route 71 – Striping from Route 48 to Route A (Nodaway County), July 23 – 27
Atchison County
U.S. Route 275 – Resurfacing project from the Iowa state line to U.S. Route 136, July 23 – 27
Route B – Pothole patching from U.S. Route 59 to Route F, July 23 – 27
Routes F and O – Pothole patching, July 23 – 27
Buchanan County
U.S. Route 169 – Pedestrian crossing improvement projects at Route AC and Pickett Road intersection, Commons Road (near Menards and Bucky’s) and South Belt Wal-Mart, July 23 – 27
Route E – Chip seal from Route H to U.S. Route 169, July 23 – 24
Route NN – Pothole patching from Route 31 to Route VV, July 23 – 24
Route 45 – Pothole patching from U.S. Route 59 to Platte County line, July 23 – 27
Route P – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Davis Road to Route UU, July 24, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Route P – CLOSED for concrete replacement from County Road 135 to Thornton Road, July 25, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Carroll County
Route NN – Pothole patching from Route 139 to end of route, July 23 – 24
Route B – Pothole patching from U.S. Route 24 to U.S. Route 65, July 25 – 26
Route UU – Pothole patching Route M to U.S. Route 65, July 27
Clay County
Route C – Resurfacing and shoulder project from Route CC to Route 116 (Clinton County), July 23 – 27. A pilot car and flaggers will direct traffic through the work zone.
Clinton County
Route C – Resurfacing and shoulder project from Route 116 to Route CC (Clay County), July 23 – 27. A pilot car and flaggers will direct traffic through the work zone.
Route K – Pothole patching from Route Y to Route NN, July 25 – 27
Daviess County
Route 13 – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the Honey Creek Bridge. The road will be closed through September. A signed detour is in place.
I-35 – Concrete replacement project in the northbound passing lane at the 75.2 mile south of Pattonsburg, June 23
Route E – Pothole patching from U.S. Route 69 to the DeKalb County line, July 23 – 25
Route 6 – Pothole patching from Route P to U.S. Route 69, July 26 – 27
Route K – Pothole patching from Route P to Gilman City, July 26 – 27
DeKalb County
U.S. Route 36 – Resurfacing project from Grindstone Creek to just east of U.S. Route 69, July 23 – 28. Below is the planned scheduled of milling, resurfacing, and ramp closures:
Monday, July 23 –Resurfacing the westbound driving lane near Ensign Trace. Access to Ensign Trace on the north side of U.S. Route 36 will be closed.
Tuesday, July 24 – Resurfacing the eastbound passing lane near Ensign Trace. The median crossover between the eastbound and westbound lanes of U.S. Route 36 at Ensign Trace will be closed.
Wednesday, July 25 and Thursday, July 26 – Resurfacing passing lanes of U.S. Route 36. No ramp or median crossover closures planned.
Friday, July 27 – Resurfacing the westbound passing lane near Ensign Trace. The median crossover between the eastbound and westbound lanes of U.S. Route 36 at Ensign Trace will be closed.
Route A – Shoulder work from Maysville to Fairport, July 23 – 26
Gentry County
Route N – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from 280th Street to 270th Street, July 24, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route N – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from 270th Street to Dawson Line Road, July 25, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route N – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Kent Lane to County Line Road, July 26, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Harrison County
Route AA/H – CLOSED for a bridge deck replacement at the I-35 overpass. The bridge will be closed through July. One lane of I-35 may be closed in each direction during the project.
I-35 – Resurfacing project from the Iowa state line to Route N at Eagleville, July 23 – 28. This includes a 16-foot width restriction and will include overnight lane closures.
Route U – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from County Road 110 to the Iowa state line, July 23 – 26, 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily
Holt County
I-29 – Bridge deck replacement at the Nodaway River Bridge. Traffic is head-to-head in the northbound lanes. This traffic pattern will be in place through August and includes a 13-foot width restriction.
Mercer County
Route JJ – CLOSED for bridge maintenance at the West Honey Creek Bridge, July 23, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
U.S. Route 65 – Sealing project from the north city limits of Chillicothe to the Iowa state line, July 23 – 28. This includes a 12-foot width restriction.
Route JJ – CLOSED for bridge maintenance at the East Honey Creek Bridge, July 24, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route D – CLOSED for bridge maintenance at the Sandy Creek Bridge, July 26, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Nodaway County
Route ZZ – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from Route V to Eagle Road, July 23 – 24, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily
U.S. Route 71 – Striping from Route A to just north of Route 48 (Andrew County), July 23 – 27
Route A – Pothole patching from U.S. Route 71 to Route 113, July 23 – 27
Route AB – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from 220th Street to U.S. Route 71, July 26, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Route FF – CLOSED for a culvert replacement from 220th Street to Hallmark Road, July 27, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Putnam County
U.S. Route 136 – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the West Locust Creek Bridge. The road will be closed through September. A signed detour is in place.
U.S. Route 136 – CLOSED for a bridge replacement project at the Elm Branch Bridge. The road will be closed through September. A signed detour is in place.
Route K – Pothole patching, July 23 – 24
Route M – CLOSED for bridge maintenance at the Medicine Creek Bridge, July 25, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
A monthly meeting offers the opportunity for women in business to network and discuss issues that affect them in the workplace.
The Women’s Leadership Group meeting is put on by the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce along with the Northwest Missouri State University Small Business and Technology Development Center.
The free event is offered on the fourth Monday of each month and features a different topic each time.
St. Joseph Chamber Director of Communications and Marketing Kristi Bailey said, this month, U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore will be speaking on the topic of human trafficking in the region.
“While, you might not think that’s a huge topic for business, it really can be. One, most of the women there are probably mothers or aunts or sisters of people with children, but also, we, as a business community, need to be on the lookout for signs of human trafficking as that problem grows throughout the country,” Bailey said. “A lot of times, people like utility workers, people that go into people’s homes, maybe termite inspectors, things like that, they might, if educated properly, be able to pick up on a signal and alert police of this problem.”
Bailey said the event includes time to ask questions, have discussion and network.
The next Women’s Leadership Group meets from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, July 23rd, at CoJoe, located at 518 Felix Street. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own lunch. For more information, click here.
Those were the last words Tia Coleman recalls her sister-in-law yelling before the tourist boat they were on sank into a Missouri lake, killing 17 people, including nine of Coleman’s family members.
First responders on the scene of the lake accident Thursday evening -photo courtesy KYTV
A huge wave hit, scattering passengers on the vessel known as a duck boat into Table Rock Lake near Branson, Coleman said, recounting the ordeal from a hospital bed. When the Indianapolis woman came up for air, she was alone. She prayed.
“I said, ‘Jesus please keep me, just keep me so I can get to my children,'” Coleman told television station KOLR.
She spotted a rescue boat and swam as fast as she could.
Coleman’s husband and three children, ages 9, 7 and 1; her 45-year-old sister-in-law and 2-year-old nephew; her mother-in-law and father-in-law and her husband’s uncle all died Thursday night in the deadliest accident of its kind in nearly two decades. Others killed included a Missouri couple who had just celebrated a birthday; another Missouri couple who was on what was planned as their last extended vacation; an Illinois woman who died while saving her granddaughter’s life; an Arkansas father and son; and a retired pastor who was the boat’s operator.
State and federal investigators were trying to determine what went sent the vessel, originally built for military use in World War II, to its demise. An initial assessment blamed thunderstorms and winds that approached hurricane strength, but it wasn’t clear why the amphibious vehicle even ventured into the water.
Coleman said the crew told passengers they were going into the water first, before the land-based part of their tour, because of the incoming storm. The area had been under a severe thunderstorm watch for hours and a severe thunderstorm warning for more than 30 minutes before the boat sank.
Suzanne Smagala with Ripley Entertainment, which owns Ride the Ducks in Branson, said it was the company’s only accident in more than 40 years of operation. The company hasn’t commented on Coleman’s account of the tour, which usually begins with a tour of downtown Branson, known for its country shows and entertainment, before the vessel enters the lake for a short ride on the water.
Company President Jim Pattison Jr. said the boat captain had 16 years of experience, and the business monitors weather.
Twenty-nine passengers and two crew members were aboard. Fourteen people survived, including two adults who remained hospitalized Saturday. Coleman and her 13-year-old nephew were the only of the 11 members of her family who boarded the boat to make it out alive.
Another survivor was 12-year-old Alicia Dennison, of Illinois, who says her grandmother, 64-year-old Leslie Dennison, saved her from drowning. Alicia’s father, Todd Dennison, told the Kansas City Star that his daughter recalled feeling her grandmother below her, pushing her upward after the boat capsized.
Another young survivor was 14-year-old Loren Smith of Osceola, Arkansas. She suffered a concussion, but her father, 53-year-old retired math teacher Steve Smith, and her 15-year-old brother, Lance, died.
Others killed included 65-year-old William Bright and his 63-year-old wife, Janice. The couple had recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary and had talked about Branson being one of their last big trips, recalled neighbor Barbara Beck.
The couple moved to Higginsville from Kansas City, Missouri, three years earlier to be closer to a daughter and grandchildren and quickly embraced small-town life.
William Bright’s final public Facebook posting noted the wedding anniversary and how happy he was with his wife, three kids and 16 grandchildren. Life, he wrote, had “been a lot of fun.”
Another Missouri couple killed in the accident were 69-year-old William Asher and 68-year-old Rosemarie Hamann. The St. Louis-area couple had been celebrating Hamman’s birthday earlier in the week. In a final Facebook photo postedby Hamann, he’s sticking his tongue out and she’s smiling.
“I can only imagine what they were going through. They were so in love. It’s just heartbreaking,” said friend Russ McKay, who said talked to Hamann the day before the accident.
McCay says Hamann told him the couple had just gone on a paddle boat and were planning to go again. He doesn’t know why they chose the duck boat instead.
Chance also brought the Colemans aboard the doomed vessel.
Tia Coleman said her family initially lined up for the wrong tour so they had to switch out their tickets for the 6:30 p.m. ride.
She says the crew showed passengers where the life jackets were but said, ‘Don’t worry about it, you won’t need it’,” Coleman said.
When swells crashed into the boat, they were told to stay seated, she says.
“When that boat is found all those life jackets are going to be on there” Coleman said. “Nobody pulled them off.”
The company’s website had been taken down by Saturday, save for a statement that its operations would remain shuttered to support the investigation and allow time for families and the community to grieve.
While the boat captain survived, its driver, 73-year-old Bob Williams, did not.
Branson Mayor Karen Best said Williams was a “great ambassador” for the city. Williams’ family in Rhode Island, where he’d lived for decades before retiring to Branson, remembered him as a deeply religious man who founded a local church.
“Pastor Bob was a prince of a man, loving, kind, and generous, whose loss to our family is incalculable,” said Williams’ son-in-law, Bishop Jeffery Williams, who now leads King’s Cathedral in Providence.
BRANSON, Mo. (AP) — The Latest on a deadly tourist boat accident in Missouri (all times local):
About 300 people gathered in a parking lot outside a tourism business to remember the 17 people killed when one of its duck boats capsized in storm-tossed water.
First responders on the scene of the lake accident Thursday evening –photo courtesy KYTV
The mourners Friday night sang Amazing Grace and prayed, some of them holding candles. Another 75 gathered at Brookside Church in Branson to pray.
The Ride the Ducks boat sank Thursday in Table Rock Lake in southwest Missouri after a strong storm generated wind gusts of 50 to 65 mph (80 to 105 kph) in the area. The Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
Branson is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City and is a popular vacation spot for families and other tourists
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9:25 p.m.
An Arkansas man and his son are among the 17 people who died when a tourist boat capsized near Branson, Missouri.
Carroll Smith said in a telephone interview Friday that his 53-year-old son, Steve, and 15-year-old grandson, Lance, were killed when a Ride the Ducks boat sank amid churning waters Thursday on Table Rock Lake. The family is from Osceola, Arkansas.
Steve Smith’s wife, Pamela, was with the family on the visit to Branson but did not go on the boat. Steve Smith’s 14-year-old daughter, Loren, suffered a concussion but survived.
Carroll Smith says his son was a retired math teacher who loved old Westerns and was active in his church. Lance would have been a freshman at Osceola High School.
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8 p.m.
Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill says she’ll examine “legislative solutions” to increase the safety of amphibious vehicles like duck boats after the tragedy in Branson.
The Democratic senator didn’t offer specifics after she was briefed Friday evening by officials from the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board. Both agencies are investigating the Thursday evening accident on Table Rock Lake that killed 17 people.
The state’s other senator, Republican Roy Blunt, also was being briefed by the agencies. He said he will monitor the investigation closely and called it “a tragedy that never should have happened.”
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7:45 p.m.
A Missouri woman says nine Indiana family members killed when a duck boat sank were put on the ill-fated boat because of a ticket mix-up.
Tracy Beck, of Kansas City, says she and her family were waiting in line for another boat when the Indiana family stopped talking to have a group picture taken by the tour company.
Beck says the ticket taker realized the family should have boarded at a different location in Branson.
The family had to get new tickets and was put on the boat that eventually sank. Beck said she recognized the family When pictures began circulating Friday
Beck says the water became choppy while they were on the lake and the captain decided to return to shore.
But she says she doesn’t blame the operator of the doomed boat.
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6:45 p.m.
A survivor of the tourist boat accident that killed 17 people, including nine of her relatives, says the captain of the boat told passengers not to bother grabbing life jackets.
Tia Coleman told WXIN-TV in Indianapolis that she and a nephew were among 11 relatives on a duck boat Thursday night on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri. Coleman says she lost “all my children” but she did not say how many.
Coleman says the captain of the boat told passengers, “Don’t worry about grabbing the life jackets — you won’t need them.”
She says by the time it was clear life jackets were needed, “it was too late.”
An email seeking comment from a spokeswoman for Ripley Entertainment, which owns the Ride the Ducks boat, was not immediately returned.
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6:30 p.m.
The local hospital’s president says that an employee of a nearby riverboat cruise line stayed with a small child who survived the capsizing of a duck boat on a Missouri lake for hours until the girl’s father arrived.
Cox Medical Center President William Mahoney said the young woman worked for the Showboat Branson Belle. It was near the duck boat when bad weather hit Thursday evening at Table Rock Lake.
Mahoney said the young woman threw a life preserver to try and help as the duck boat sank.
Mahoney said it is not clear how the young woman and the child arrived at the hospital. But he said once they were there the employee stayed with the child until her father came about 5 a.m. Friday.
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3:55 p.m.
A spokeswoman for Missouri Gov. Mike Parson says nine of the 17 people who died in a duck boat accident are from the same family.
Parson spokeswoman Kelli Jones says Friday that another two members of the same family survived when the boat capsized on Table Rock Lake near the tourist town of Branson.
The governor’s office had no other information about the family members. Authorities have not yet identified the victims.
The boat capsized Thursday evening when a thunderstorm hit the area and brought winds that approached near-hurricane speeds.
Twenty-nine passengers and two crew members were on the boat when it capsized. The boat’s driver was among those killed.
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3:32 p.m.
The president of the company that owns the Branson duck boats says a sudden “microburst” of high winds apparently came up suddenly before one of the boats capsized, killing 17 people.
The accident happened Thursday on Table Rock Lake. The last of the victims were found Friday. Several local, state and federal agencies are investigating.
Jim Pattison Jr. is president of Ripley Entertainment, which owns the duck boat business. Pattison says the captain operating the boat had 16 years of experience, and the business monitors weather.
Pattison told The Associated Press that the water was calm and flat when the amphibious vehicle arrived at the lake, but a sudden storm emerged and “turned it into turbulence.”
Pattison says his company is “sad” and “devastated” by the deaths.
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3:25 p.m.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson says emergency responders and civilian rescuers helped prevent an even worse tragedy after a duck boat capsized on a lake and killed 17 people.
Parson spent Friday in the Branson area after the boat sank Thursday evening on Table Rock Lake amid high winds. He called the efforts of emergency responders and civilian rescuers “courageous” and said he was inspired by them.
He said people rushed in to help “in extremely dangerous conditions.”
Parson met with Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader and others leading the recovery operation before visiting the Cox Medical Center in Branson to meet with survivors and medical personnel.
The governor pledged the support of all state resources to help in an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Coast Guard.
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3:15 p.m.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the agency has no authority to keep people or boats off of its lakes, even when bad weather approaches.
Seventeen people died Thursday when a Ride the Duck boat capsized in Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri. The accident happened amid churning waters and stormy weather.
Corps of Engineers spokeswoman Laurie Driver says storms tend to blow up quickly in the region of southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas that includes Table Rock, but the agency must rely on people making their own judgments about the safety of setting out on the water.
Driver says Ride the Ducks of Branson has a permit from the corps to operate on the lake.
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2:45 p.m.
Doctors believe that two people in critical condition after a duck boat sank in a Missouri lake will survive.
Cox Medical Center spokeswoman Brandei Clifton says “doctors are confident” about their long term prognosis.
The two adults are in critical condition after nearly drowning in the accident Thursday evening.
Cox received seven patients Thursday. Two are those in critical condition, one refused treatment and the remaining four, including three children, were treated for minor injuries such as sore ears and general anxiety.
Clifton says the hospital treated the accident like a mass casualty event and called in extra staff in anticipation of a large number of patients.
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2:40 p.m.
A candlelight vigil is planned to remember the 17 people killed when a duck boat capsized in stormy weather in southern Missouri.
Several pastors will be gathering at 9 p.m. Friday at Brookside Church in Branson, with a previously scheduled fireworks display to follow the vigil and prayers. The Stone County Sheriff’s Office posted details about the vigil on its Facebook page. The post says, “EVERYONE is welcome!”
The Ride the Ducks boat sank Thursday night in Table Rock Lake after a strong storm generated wind gusts of 50 to 65 mph (80 to 105 kph) in the area. The Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
Branson is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City and is a popular vacation spot for families and other tourists.
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2:05 p.m.
Authorities say it could take several days to raise a duck boat that sank in southern Missouri, killing its driver and 16 passengers.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Jason Pace says the vessel came to rest in 80 feet of water in on Table Rock Lake. Authorities initially said it would be raised Friday but Pace says it will take several days to get the equipment in place. He says investigators “want to preserve evidence as best is possible.”
Pace says the area has been secured and the investigation turned over to the National Transportation Safety Board and the Coast Guard.
Pace says divers indicated that the water visibility was better than normal, expediting the recovery of the victims’ bodies. They ranged in age from 1- to 70-years-old.
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11 a.m.
Authorities say the final four people missing since a boat capsized on a lake in southern Missouri have been found, raising the death toll to 17.
The office manager at the Stone County Sheriff’s office, Wendy Doucey, confirmed the discovery Friday. The Ride the Ducks boat sank Thursday night in the Lake of the Ozarks near Branson.
The victims’ names haven’t been released.
Branson is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City and is a popular vacation spot for families and other tourists.
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10:30 a.m.
Authorities are working to recover a duck boat that capsized and sank in a southern Missouri lake, killing more than a dozen people.
Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said during a news conference Friday that he believes the boat sank in 40 feet of water and rolled into 80 feet of water. He says the Missouri State Highway Patrol divers have located the vessel, which is on its wheels in Table Rock Lake in the Branson area. Authorities plan to recover the boat later Friday.
He says the first call about the capsized boat came in at 7:09 p.m. Thursday. He says authorities are working to determine what happened and had no information about whether passengers were wearing life jackets or whether they were just stowed onboard.
The victims’ names haven’t been released.
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9:30 a.m.
Authorities say the four people still missing after a duck boat capsized in southern Missouri are presumed dead, in addition to the 13 people whose bodies have been recovered.
Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader described the search as a “recovery mode for the bodies that are still missing” during a news conference Friday morning.
Rader says the driver of the Ride the Ducks boat died but that the captain survived when the boat sank Thursday night in Table Rock Lock in the Branson area. Thirteen victims already have been found.
Rader says an off-duty deputy aboard the nearby Showboat Branson Belle and others on the riverboat jumped in to help the duck boat’s passengers. He described the rescue effort as “outstanding.”
Branson is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City and is a popular vacation spot for families and other tourists.
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9 a.m.
The National Weather Service is warning of a fresh round of thunderstorms, as divers search for four people missing after a duck boat capsized on a lake in southwest Missouri.
Meteorologist Jason Schaumann says some of the storms are expected to churn up large hail and damaging straight line winds when they hit Friday afternoon in the Branson area where the Ride the Ducks boat sank. The bodies of 13 victims already have been found.
Schaumann says wind gusts of 50 to 65 mph (80 to 105 kph) were recorded around the time the boat capsized Thursday night in Table Rock Lake after a severe thunderstorm warning had been issued. He says the weather was calm in the search area overnight and that the area narrowly avoided more storms Friday morning.
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8:10 a.m.
President Donald Trump is extending his “deepest sympathies” to those affected by a Missouri boat accident that has killed at least 13.
In a Friday morning tweet, the president sends his: “deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those involved in the terrible boat accident which just took place in Missouri.”
He adds: “Such a tragedy, such a great loss. May God be with you all!”
Local officials said 14 people survived the sinking of a duck boat and four others remain missing after the accident Thursday evening on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri.
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8:05 a.m.
A witness has described the wind-borne chaos as a duck boat capsized and sank in a lake in southwest Missouri.
Allison Lester told ABC’s “Good Morning America” Friday that the “waters were rough” and “debris was flying everywhere” Thursday evening when the Ride the Ducks boat sank in Table Rock Lake in Branson. Lester was on a nearby boat.
Thirteen people were killed and four others are missing.
Lester’s boyfriend, Trent Behr, says he saw a woman lying in the water and that they pulled her up onto the boat. He says she was unconscious and that he was getting ready to start CPR when emergency responders arrived.
Branson is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City and is a popular vacation spot for families and other tourists.
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7:30a.m.
Authorities say divers have found two more bodies after a duck boat carrying tourists capsized in southwest Missouri, bringing the death toll to 13.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Jason Pace says four others remain missing Friday after the accident on Table Rock Lake in Branson Thursday evening. He says 14 others survived, but that seven were injured.
Pace says those who died ranged in age from 1 to 70-years old.
Branson is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City and is a popular vacation spot for families and other tourists looking for entertainment ranging from theme parks to live music.
4a.m.
BRANSON, Mo. (AP) – Dive teams are expected to resume the search for five people missing after a tourist boat capsized and sank in a southwestern Missouri lake.
Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader says at least 11 people, including children, died when the Ride the Ducks boat sank Thursday night on Table Rock Lake in Branson. Seven other people were hospitalized.
Rader says the stormy weather was believed to be the cause of the capsizing. Another boat on the lake was able to safely make it back to shore.
NTSB launching Go Team to investigate July 19, 2018, amphibious vehicle accident at Table Rock Lake, near Branson, MO. Team will travel Friday morning.
National Weather Service meteorologist Steve Lindenberg says the agency had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Branson area, and winds reached speeds of more than 60 mph.
The National Transportation Safety Board said on Twitter that investigators are expected to arrive on the scene Friday.
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BRANSON, Mo. (AP) — At least 11 people, including children, died after a boat carrying tourists on a Missouri lake capsized and sank Thursday night, the local sheriff said.
Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said five people remain missing and seven others were hospitalized after a Ride the Ducks boat sank on Table Rock Lake in Branson.
A spokeswoman for the Cox Medical Center Branson said four adults and three children arrived at the hospital shortly after the incident. Two adults were in critical condition and the others were treated for minor injuries, Brandei Clifton said.
Rader said the stormy weather was believed to be the cause of the capsizing. Another duck boat on the lake was able to safely make it back to shore.
Steve Lindenberg, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Springfield, Missouri, said the agency issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Branson area Thursday evening. Lindenberg said winds reached speeds of more than 60 mph.
“It’s a warning telling people to take shelter,” he said.
Rader said an off-duty sheriff’s deputy working security for the boat company helped rescue people after the accident.
Dive teams from a number of law enforcement agencies were assisting in the effort, but the sheriff said the divers ended their search for the night.
The National Transportation Safety Board said on Twitter that investigators will arrive on the scene Friday morning.
Suzanne Smagala with Ripley Entertainment, which owns Ride the Ducks in Branson, said the company was assisting authorities with the rescue effort. Smagala added this was the Branson tour’s first accident in more than 40 years of operation.
Branson is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City and is a popular vacation spot for families and other tourists looking for entertainment ranging from theme parks to live music.
Duck boats, known for their ability to travel on land and in water, have been involved in other deadly incidents in the past. They include one in 2015 in Seattle in which five college students were killed when a boat collided with a bus, and one in 1999 that left 13 people dead after the boat sank near Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Safety advocates have sought improvements to the boats since the Arkansas incident. Critics argued that part of the problem is numerous agencies regulate the boats with varying safety requirements.
Duck boats were originally used by the U.S. military in World War II to transport troops and supplies, and later were modified for use as sightseeing vehicles.
Normal temperatures are expected the next couple days with highs in the upper 80s to right around 90 but, with low humidity it should still feel pretty comfortable. However, as we get into the second half of the work week and into the weekend, rain chances will increase and temperatures may feel more like early Fall than the middle of Summer. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
