2 people missing after tourist boat overturns at Philadelphia

[Dennis Donovan]

Source: CNN.com

(CNN) -- A tourist boat with more than 30 people on board overturned on the Delaware River at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Wednesday after it was hit by a barge, Philadelphia police and the Coast Guard said.

"We confirmed that there were 37 people on board, 35 passengers and two crew. As of right now we have confirmed that 35 people have been recovered. There are two people missing," David Umberger, the Coast Guard's civilian search and rescue controller for the area, said about 3:30 p.m.

"We are continuing our search and we have all of our port partners engaged in that search-and-rescue case, including the state police, Philly police, fire department, good samaritans and the Coast Guard," Umberger said.

He did not know the condition of any of the people pulled from the water. It wasn't clear whether the two missing people are the crew members or passengers.
</snip>

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/07/07/pennsylvania.tourist.boat/index.html?hpt=T2

---

Wow! This on the heels of the tour boat sinking in Boston Harbor...

Confirmed: this is the company in question, here's a link to a tour boat company in Philly that uses amphibious vehicles similar to the craft in question:
http://philadelphia.ridetheducks.com/experience/ducks-or-dukws.aspx

Here's a philly.com link to the story:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20100707_Duck_boat_crashes_into_barge_on_Delaware_River.html

2 missing after duck boat crashes into barge
By Sam Wood and Nathan Gorenstein

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

A duck boat packed with tourists collided with a barge on the Delaware River this afternoon soon after it entered the water at Penns Landing, police said.

The collision, at about 2:40 p.m., sent at least 37 adults and children into the river off Columbus Boulevard between Chestnut and Race Streets.

Thirty-five passengers have been recovered, said the Coast Guard. A search for two missing passengers - a 17-year-old girl and a 19-year-old man - continued at 3:40 p.m., said Petty Officer Crystal Keen.

Norman Civera, 41, said he witnessed the duck boat hit the barge.

"It hit pretty hard and pulled the boat under," Civera said. "It went straight under."

He said he saw passengers getting rescued from the water. Some were screaming.
</snip>

ON EDIT: A 16 year-old female and a 20 year-old male are the missing two.

SECOND EDIT: The boat burst into flames before quickly going under.

THIRD EDIT: The boat was on fire BEFORE the collision.

[damntexdem]

1. And it says 35 people "recovered," not "rescued."

Is that just poor word choice? Or were there a lot of deaths?

[Dennis Donovan]

3. Really poor wording...

:thumbsdown:

[notadmblnd]

2. People pay to get on that thing?

It doesn't look like a boat. It looks more like someone took an old school bus and put some vinyl siding on it a decided to call it a boat.

[Dennis Donovan]

4. It's based on the old DUKW design used in WW2...

[AtheistCrusader]

10. In Seattle we still use the real deal. Those are WWII vehicles.

Not replicas.

[Dennis Donovan]

18. A few lakeside volunteer fire depts in our area still use the WW2 DUKWs....

...I've ridden in one during the fireman field days. :) It's a blast!

[jberryhill]

5. It is an amphibious vehicle

[msanthrope]

6. It was utter chaos here---everyone thought it

Was an attack on the Hall or the Bell.

The duck boat went out under the Ben Franklin Bridge, had a fire, and then got into the shipping lane. At least that's the local story.

It looks bad for the missing 2. The Delaware is a rough channel.
The duck boats are a leading tourist attraction. Ride the Ducks and the other company that control the rides have been fighting in federal court for YEARS over various issues. Frivilous filings, fines, lawyers cited, etc...

[RamboLiberal]

7. Shame - we have DUCK tours as well in my hometown of Pittsburgh

Been wanting to ride one someday.

[RamboLiberal]

8. Update - 2 Missing Tourists from Hungary

Two passengers are missing, a 16-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man, both tourists from Hungary. Marine Units were searching river with sonar equipment. Police on both sides of the river searched the banks.

The duck boat launched just south of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and encountered mechanical difficulties and a fire that forced it to shut down, said Police Department spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore.

"The boat was sitting on the water waiting for help," Vanore said.

According to the company's Web site, the vehicles used in Philadelphia are "based on the classic WWII DUKW amphibious design. Today, we build our vehicles from the ground up using the latest in marine design and safety."

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20100707_Duck_boat_crashes_into_barge_on_Delaware_River.html?page=1&c=y

Sounds like it wasn't the DUCK's fault. Someone on the barge boat not paying attention or not able to maneuver in time?

[Binka]

9. My 9 Year Old Is Visiting Her Dad On The East Coast This Summer

She and he were just in Boston on the 4th and they rode the duck in the Charles River. My heart has been in my throat every minute she has been gone (day 11 now) it is her first time away from me, and I am in CA. The parents of these missing kids must be sick. I hope the outcome is good.

[Ian David]

17. The odds against this sort of thing are probably very, very low. n/t

[Dennis Donovan]

23. Although not a parent myself...

...I can empathize with your disconcertion, Binka.:hug::hi:

[AtheistCrusader]

11. It can take a mile to stop a barge, depending.

If the Duck was dead in the water, in the shipping lane, not much you can do, in some cases.

[Patiod]

12. 2 missing after barge hits tourist 'duck' boat in Philadelphia

Source: USA Today

"Two people are missing after a Delaware River barge hit an amphibious tourist boat along the Philadelphia waterfront this afternoon.

The Coast Guard said the "duck" boat was carrying 35 passengers and two crewmembers when it was hit about 2:40 p.m. after entering the water at Penns Landing near the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. A 17-year-old girl and a 19-year-old man have not been found, The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting. Eight people were taken to a hospital."



Read more: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/07/2-missing-after-barge-hits-tourist-duck-boat-in-philadelphia/1

---

Damn! Hot day, tourists enjoying the city, the boat breaks down, and they get slammed by a city barge.

My SO rode one of these in Boston, and really enjoyed it.

[SunnySong]

13. See what happens when you don't stop for Ducks...

[LisaM]

14. OMG

Three of my really good friends rode the Duck in Philly just last week.

[Patiod]

15. ooo - that gives me a chill

It made me particularly sad that so many of the people were from outside the US or from pretty far away. What a sucky thing to have happen on a vacation.

[Ian David]

16. My daughter and I just took one of those duckboat tours in Boston. n/t

[hayu_lol]

19. They use these 'Ducks' at Wisconsin Dells ...

as well. One sank a few years ago with a load of tourists.

[Dennis Donovan]

20. By design, they have a low freeboard...

...so soldiers could just jump over the side right into the water. Unfortunately, this doesn't translate well into overloaded tour boat usage.:(

[Rhiannon12866]

21. K&R. Is this an epidemic, or what?!

Yet another accident like this should give tourists pause about their plans for the summer. That the missing are able bodied young people, and not elderly or handicapped, certainly speaks to the severity of this collision. Is this about the boats or the captains? The Ticonderoga was scrapped after surviving a war and traveling the length of Lake George for years without a mishap... :(

[Dennis Donovan]

22. In this case, it sounds like there was a mechanical issue with the DUKW...

...and it drifted into the sea lane that the larger traffic use. One thing about a barge being pushed by a tug - you can't stop or turn it quickly enough to avoid an imminent collision.

[Rhiannon12866]

28. Sounds like a very dangerous situation,

And pretty unavoidable. Tragic. I do hope that they find the missing passengers alive and well. Stranger things have happened (Andrea Doria...). *fingers crossed*

[Pavulon]

24. If memory a distressed vessel or vessel not under power

has right of way. Now the barge may not have been able to stop.

[Dennis Donovan]

26. Well, a disabled vessel has, by definition, right-of-way because...

...it hasn't the ability to YIELD to any other vessel. ;-)

Of course, the barge, unless it saw the disabled vessel from more than a mile away, would have little time to maneuver around the stricken craft.

[Merchant Marine]

37. However a vessel in distress or Not Under Command must make appropriate signals to claim its status

If the DUKW did not make communications, post dayshapes or attempt any of the International Distress Signals () then they don't have a leg to stand on, in court at least. And are these DUKWs even crewed by licensed mariners? I doubt they could afford to pay for 100 ton masters for every one of those things.

[ChoralScholar]

39. The two I've ridden on have both been piloted

by USCG licensed captains. They are also equipped with Marine Radio - anyway - I'm not sure what happened here.

[Old Troop]

25. Are these things reconditioned originals from 65 years ago or are

they newly constructed?

[Dennis Donovan]

27. According to the operator's website:

http://philadelphia.ridetheducks.com/experience/ducks-or-dukws.aspx

Our Ducks are based on the classic WWII DUKW amphibious design. Today, we build our vehicles from the ground up using the latest in marine design and safety. The vehicles are regularly inspected, tested & certified by the United States Coast Guard to ensure a safe and comfortable experience for our guests. Our newest model, the "Truck Duck," has been approved by the USCG Marine Safety Center for "Partially Protected Water" routes, a designation unattainable by standard WWII DUKWs in any configuration.

[Dennis Donovan]

29. Pic of the accident as it happened:

Jesus!!!

[Rhiannon12866]

30. Holy shit!!!

I'm surprised that anybody survived! The size difference here is the same as Captain Sullenberger hitting actual ducks! :wow: :scared: ;(

[Dennis Donovan]

32. That's a very apt analogy!

:evilfrown:

[Rhiannon12866]

36. Sadly, that's what it looked like to me...

That this little boat stood about as much of a chance as the poor birds did... :(

[RamboLiberal]

33. WHOA!

IMHO someone on the towboat was not paying attention since the Duck was dead in the water for 15+ minutes.

[Dennis Donovan]

34. The USCG says the duck skipper never put out a distress call...

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20100709_Philadelphia_river_crash_remains_a_mystery.html

Even though the amphibious vehicle known as "Duck 34" wallowed powerless in the Delaware River for about 15 minutes before its fatal sinking, no distress call was ever received by the Coast Guard, investigators said Thursday.

The Wednesday afternoon accident - which sent 35 passengers and two crew members into the water, and apparently killed two passengers - has left investigators with a puzzle: Why did two vessels equipped with radios, required to keep a lookout, and crewed by licensed mariners, crash in clear weather on a sunny day?

<snip>

Standard procedures would have been for the Duck 34 crew to use Channel 13 to warn nearby shipping that it had lost power; the crew also had the option of alerting the Coast Guard on Channel 16, specifically designated for marine emergencies. Transmissions on that channel are automatically recorded.

Coast Guard Lt. Commander Matthew Rice said Thursday that there was no recording of a Mayday call on Channel 16 from either vessel.

Transmission on Channel 13 is not recorded, and Rice said the Coast Guard had learned of Duck 34's breakdown only in calls that came in after the accident.

Robert Sumwalt, an NTSB member, said that the navigational and communication gear on the tug would be checked, and that crew members on both vessels would be checked for drugs. Alcohol tests were negative.

The NTSB will also likely try to determine if the engine problems on Duck 34 could have prevented radio transmissions.
</snip>

[RamboLiberal]

35. No matter - On a clear day dead in the water for 15 minutes

The towboat crew should've spotted the Duck visually. There are I bet small craft in the water as well who lack a marine radio. This towboat would've ran over them as well if they were dead in the water.

If the investigation turns out a different timeline then maybe the tow is not at fault. I get a feeling we're going to find both the tow and the duck at fault.

Interesting local report on this here. http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/Philadelphia_Duck_Boat_Crash_Liability_070810

[Merchant Marine]

38. It matters quite a bit

If the disabled DUKW was drifting in the river current with no clear indication of distress being made, than there was really no way for the tug crew to know that they needed to avoid it. Normally the DUKW should be avoiding the tug and barge. By the time a collision became apparent there was little that the tug crew could do besides idle their engines so people going overboard wouldn't be sucked through the screws.

Indeed the DUKW was probably too small to get a solid radar fix on, so collision avoidance would have been visual only, with the DUKW possibly being obstructed by the forward blindspot all large vessels have. With no comms and no reliable radar the situation would have gone from business as usual to "oh shit" to collision in about 5 minutes, seemingly a long time but a split second as far as maneuvering is concerned.

Edit: Go look at photo 52 on the article in the OP. You can see how the tug and barge were made up, towing "on the hip" with a light barge. Barely any visibility to starboard. I'll bet a big pile of cash that the DUKW drifted over from the starboard side. Hell I'll bet they never even saw it. Distress communication from the DUKW could have prevented this.

[Rhiannon12866]

31. Officials Identify Body Found in River as Missing Tourist

The body of one of two missing Hungarian tourists was recovered early Friday morning from the Delaware River in Philadelphia close to the spot where a barge collided with a stalled amphibious sightseeing boat, throwing 37 people into the water.

<snip>

Authorities spotted a second body near the salvage barge used to recover the boat, according to several news reports, but crews were not immediately able to retrieve the body for identification.

The first body was recovered after 4:30 a.m. on Friday. They believe the body to be that of Dora Schwendtner, 16, from Mosonmagyaróvár, who was part of a 15-person youth group from Hungary that had come to Philadelphia for a three-week cultural exchange. One young man, whom the Coast Guard identified as 20-year-old Szablcs Prem, is still missing.

“The body found is consistent with the description of the missing girl,” Jeff Moran, a spokesman for the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s office said, adding that an autopsy would be performed on Friday to confirm her identity.

<snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/10/us/10boat.html

Incredibly sad... :(