Philadelphia Duck Boat Accident Lawsuit Filed

Herschend Family Entertainment Corp., the duck boat manufacturer and parent company of Ride the Ducks of Philadelphia have been named in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed Aug. 10.  The lawsuit also names Ride the Ducks of Philadelphia, LLC, K-Sea Transportation Partners, LP and the City of Philadelphia.

The suit was filed following a fatal duck-boat crash July 7 on the Delaware River in Philadelphia that killed two Hungarian student-tourists.

Dora Schwendtner and Szabolcs Prem were killed when a 290-foot barge rammed into the Philadelphia duck boat. The duck boat, which was filled with tourists, sank when it was struck.

The suits claims the duck boat failed to increase the buoyancy of the vessel per National Transportation Safety Board recommendations; operated in violation of NTSB recommendations by having a fixed canopy barring timely passenger escape in the event of a loss of buoyancy; failed to maintain basic safety equipment and failed to issue and require passengers wear floatation devices; operated outside Coast Guard-approved limit; and failed to summon emergency assistance.

It claims the tugboat failed to post a lookout and operated with a blind spot in busy shipping channel; failed to monitor proper emergency maritime channels and was deaf to the duck boat’s Mayday calls; operated with an undermanned crew and instructed crew members to invoke the Fifth Amendment, depriving NTSB investigators of accident investigation information