Please Help me

Questions 1 & 2

Opening Chapter Case: Duck Boat Tragedy - Part 1 Duck boats (often called "ducks") are amphibious vehicles that were initially used in World War II to ferry supplies and troops from sea to land. They were employed in france during the Normandy Invasion and many other missions requiring amphibious movement of resources. Today's ducks have been refurbished from the original military vessels and are most commonly used at tourist attractions. They are popular in broy take scenery of the surrounding Ozark Mountains (Barrett, 2018). high winds, took on water, and suddenly Missouri, where visitors can ride on Table 2018). On July 19,2018 , a duck boat encountered 17, nine from one family (Barrett \& Lazo, sank in Table Rock Lake near Branson, kiling in distress as it was heading back to land 2018). Cell phone video captured the boaty that operated the duck boat business, Ride moments before it capsized. The company that operated reopened. the Ducks Branson, closed aiter the accident and never not designed to last beyond the Ducks were built for wartime missions and wever. many ducks were later used afterWorld military theater (Bonvento, 2018). However, attractions. There were 118 duck boats War II for military training and in tourist attractions. Ther 2018 (Barrett, 2018). Reusing a registered with the US Coast Guard at the beginning of 2018 (Barre hull so that it remains duck boat requires a restoration process to rebuld the in 2000 (Hoffmann, 2000). seaworthy. The restoration cost was around On July 19, 2018, at Table Rock Lake outside of Branson, Missouri, the weather was calm The Accident early in the day. But conditions in the Ozark Mountains can change quickly. Two duck boats were out on the lake when a severe thunderstorm warning was issued at 6:30 p.m. One boat returned to land successfully, but at 7:09 p.m., but a 911 call indicated that the other boat was in distress. It had encountered severe wind and choppy waves and was taking on water. Cell phone video showed the boat being tossed around as waves overtook the front of the vessel. There were 31 people on board, including two crew members. By the end of the day, the boat was submerged in 70 feet of water, and 17 people had drowned. Ironically, the vessel initially capsized in 15 feet of water but drifted into deeper waters due to the lake currents (Bonvento, 2018). Life jackets were on board the boat. None were utilized on July 19, but it is unclear whether they would have saved lives anyway. A duck boat canopy can trap passengers onboard as the vessel takes on water, thus, creating a fatal condition (Bonvento, 2018; Maher, 2018). The captain was widely criticized for launching the boat when severe thunderstorms were forecast (Bauer, Cummings, Adler, \& McKinley, 2018; Bonvento, 2018). The camera and recording data salvaged from the sunken boat revealed the following approximate sequence of events (NTSB News Release, 2018): - 6:27 p.m. - The captain and driver boarded the vehicle. - 6:28 p.m. - An individual informs the captain and driver to take the water portion storm, although the official weather bulletin acknowledement of the pending - 6:29 p.m.)-While the passengers board, the captain mentions 10032pm. weather map before the trip. - 6:33 p.m. - The duck boat departs from the terminal on land. - 6:50 p.m. - The captain provides safety information on life jackets and emergency exits. He then moves to the driver's seat to prepare the versel for entry into the water. The driver takes a seat behind the captain's chair. - 6:55 pm. - The boat enters calm water. - 7:00 p.m. - Whitecap waves and high winds suddenly appear. - 7:04 p.m. - The bilge alarm activates, indicating that water is entering the duck - 7:08 p.m. - The recording data ended. The sequence of events confirms a sudden storm hit Table Rock Lake as forecasted. Although other boats were on the water, they were substantially more extensive and buoyant. Some passengers on these boats took cellphone video of the duck boat attempting to return to land; they are readily available on YouTube. History of Accidents Although some critics have suggested that the ducks are inherently unsafe and should be banned, there have been only a few recorded accidents. Three other duck boat accidents are noteworthy: May 1, 1999: The duck boat, Miss Majestic, sank on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Thirteen people died in an accident that occurred only 300 feet from shore. The boat sank 30 seconds after taking on water (Beddingfield, 1999), and a design flaw in the boot system, which covers the drive axles, was identified as the cause (Gordon, 2007). July 7, 2010: A stalled duck boat on the Delaware River was hit by a barge being pushed by a tugboat, resulting in two fatalities. The captain of the tugboat was preoccupied with calls from his cellphone involving a family emergency. He had moved to a part of the boat where his view of the river was blocked. The captain was later sentenced to one year in prison for the maritime equivalent of involuntary manslaughter. The captain of the duck boat suspected an engine fire and anchored the vessel in the river. However, the smoke he saw from the engine was steam from the radiator because the radiat op cap had not been adequately placed (Todt, 2012). Unfortunately, this area of the rousy shipping lane, and the need to anchor in that area contributed to the accident. September 25, 2015: A duck boat driven on land crashed into a bus full of international students, killing five students and injuring 69. The crash occurred on the Aurora Bridyde in Seattle after the duck boat axle broke, causing it to cross the center line and colide into the side of the bus. All five of the fatalities were passengers on the bus: Meanwhile, 11 people were ejected from the duck boat and sustained injuries, seven of which were severe. The National Transportation Safety Board later ruled that improper maintenance was a factor in the crash (Bellisle, 2016). Are Duck Boats Unsafe? From a crisis management perspective, the answer is yes. These four accidents are related to boat design and improper maintenance. During a violent storm, the boats can be deadly, as evidenced by the 2018 accident in Branson. On calm water, they are safe, assuming there are no leaks of the boot, which seals the drive axle of the vessel, as that is what caused the 1999 disaster in Arkansas. Both of those accidents can be attributed to boat design. The 2010 accident was not attributable directly to the duck boat, but to the barge that hit it. However, the duck boat was in the center of the shipping lane because of a mechanical failure. This accident was caused by a maintenance issue that should have been corrected before the boat departed. The 2015 accident on the road was not a boat problem, but a traffic accident. However, the axle failure was due to improper maintenance. These four accidents have resulted in 37 fatalities, including five victims on the bus the duck boat hit in Seattle. Given this information, how can tour operators that use duck boats ensure the safety of their guests? Case Discussion Questions 1. Suppose you are a crisis consultant to a tourist company that uses duck boats to take tourists on a lake to enjoy the scenery and learn about the history of the area. They are also used on the highway for special events and on side roads before entering the water. Would you recommend that the company continue to use the duck boats? Why or why not? 2. If the ducks are used, what safety guidelines would you propose