One of the survivors from the Table Rock Lake boating accident spoke about what led to the incident claiming the lives of 17 people, nine of which were her family, on Thursday, July 19.
Tia Coleman told Arkansas news outlet KOLR10 Ozarks First she was isolated from the rest of her family as she struggled for dear life. She lost her husband, three children, her in-laws and uncle-in-law due to the accident. The only other survivor from her family is her 13-year-old nephew.
"I couldn't see anybody, I couldn't hear anything," she said of the "Ride the Ducks" boat accident. "I couldn't hear screams; it felt like I was out there on my own. And I was yelling, screaming and finally, I said 'Lord, just let me die, let me die, I can't keep drowning, I just can't keep drowning.' And then I just let go."
On the day of the accident, Coleman was among 11 family members who wanted a nice day boating together. They arrived in Branson, Missouri, at the wrong duck boat business but decided to switch tickets for the 6:30 p.m. tour. According to Coleman, the duck boat tour is usually a land and water excursion, but due to an incoming storm, they were told the water portion would be first.
"Once he [the captain] takes over, this big huge waves choppy, everybody started getting like hey, this is getting a little bit too much," said Coleman. "And then it got really choppy and big swells of water started coming into the boat, then a really huge wave swept over and when that wave swept over, the last thing I heard my sister-in-law say was 'grab the baby.''"
The boat started sinking. Although a rescue boat was close, Coleman described how difficult it was trying to swim toward the life jackets to get to safety. "I swam over to the boat, and I was holding on, but my legs and arms were so heavy from trying. They were so heavy. It was so heavy."
She had no choice but to swim to the rescue boat without a life jacket.
After the events of this devastating incident replayed in her mind, she believed if her family was initially allowed to get the life jackets off the duck boat, they could be alive right now.
"They told us, 'they're up here; this is where they are.' They showed us where they were. 'But don't worry about it; you won't need it.' And we said, 'okay,'" she recalled.
"So when the captain took over, I thought that at some point he would say grab the jackets now. But we were told to stay seated, and everybody stayed seated. Nobody grabbed it. When that boat is found, all those life jackets are going to be in there. Nobody pulled one off. You weren't supposed to grab them unless you were in distress, which we were, but he told us we don't need them. It was, I don't know what to say, definitely life to change, life-altering event."
Typically, life jackets are not recommended for these types of boating trips because officials claim it could make situations worse, per USA Today. The Coast Guard also states it is up to the vessel's master to decide when life jackets should be used. Over the years, federal officials have grown concerned over the dangers these trips pose.
Fox 59 reports there will be an investigation conducted by the Coast Guard and other agencies into this incident.
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