A federal judge has recommended dismissing all criminal charges against three men indicted in the Ride the Ducks tragedy in the Branson area two years ago.
In July, 2018, an amphibious vehicle owned by Ride the Ducks launched into the water of Table Rock Lake twenty minutes after a severe weather warning had been given for the lake. The boat capsized, killing 17 people in one of the deadliest boating accidents in United States history.
Judge David Rush recommended dismissing the charges as admiralty law does not consider the Table Rock Lake a navigable waterway.
According to Judge Rush, this would mean the charges should be brought before a state court, and not a federal one.
The recommendation will go to a district judge for review, and it will be accepted or dismissed at the discretion of the district judge.
