Company wants some Missouri boat death lawsuits dropped

(AP) – The company that owns the Ride the Ducks operation in Branson is asking a judge to dismiss some of the lawsuits filed after one of its boats sank on a Missouri lake, killing 17 people.

The Kansas City Star reports Ripley Entertainment said in motions filed Monday that the boat’s sinking July 19 on Table Rock Lake was “an unforeseeable and unintentional occurrence.” The company also argues that the duck boats complied with U.S. Coast Guard regulations.

Survivors and relatives of those who died on the boat have filed several lawsuits against Ripley and five other businesses. They contend the owners and operators of the duck boats ignored weather warnings the day the boat sank and didn’t heed long-standing warnings about the safety of the boats’ design.