KANSAS CITY, Missouri — The four people still missing overnight after a duck boat capsized during high winds Thursday evening on Table Rock Lake have been found dead.

That raises the death toll to 17 people who were aboard a Ride the Ducks boat, which sank as a thunderstorm created dangerous conditions with high waves on the lake and the boat was caught out in the open.

Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader confirmed the four additional deaths around 10:30 a.m. Friday after appearing earlier in the day at a press conference with Missouri Gov. Mike Parson.

Later in the afternoon Gov. Parson said he spoke to an aunt and 13-year-old boy who lost nine members of their family in the tragedy.

Missouri State Highway Patrol divers have located the boat , which is believed to be under 80 feet of water.

Rader showed reporters the area where the boat sank.

First look: Duck boat sank near the red part of the Branson Belle. Was trying to get to dock seen at end of the video. @41actionnews pic.twitter.com/CwxqUfA5dy — Tom Dempsey (@KCTomDempsey) July 20, 2018

The vessel sank in 40 feet of water, but rolled into deeper water and is on its wheels at the bottom of the lake, according to Rader. The boat will remain underwater until Monday pending investigation.

Details about what caused the accident were scant, prompting Rader and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, who attended a Friday morning press conference, to plead for patience.

The investigation by Stone County deputies and the Missouri State Highway Patrol continues, but the Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board — entities assisting with the investigation — will determine what caused the incident.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance officers also are at the scene conducting an investigation.

According to OSHA Spokesman Scott Allen, the company "Ride the Ducks International LLC" has no past history of safety violations.

“There’s a lot of healing that has to take place right now …,” Parson said. “I know everybody wants answers, but the priority right now is to protect the families, unite the families and deal with the situations they’re in.”

There were 17 people, ranging in age from 1 to 70 years old, confirmed dead late Friday morning. The four people who had still been missing and presumed dead were recovered by mid-morning.

Seven people aboard the boat, which had 29 passengers and two crew members when it went down, were injured and seven others were rescued without injury.

The captain of the capsized boat survived, according to Rader, but his identity and the identities of the passengers who died have not been released.

“Right now, we’re still working with families and making notifications,” Rader said.

After the morning press conference, Branson Mayor Karen Best confirmed to 41 Action News that Ride the Ducks Captain Robert Williams , a driver with the lake-tour company, was among the 17 people who died.

As the boat went under, a Stone County deputy who was aboard the nearby Showboat Branson Belle, land-based workers for the lake-tour company and passengers who were waiting to board the boat’s next excursion went into the water to attempt and assist in the rescue.

There were life jackets in the boat, but it’s unclear how many, if any, passengers were wearing a floatation device, Rader said.

“I think it’s going to take some time to answers those questions,” Parson said, urging patience with the investigation to avoid speculation and promised to release a full report in the future.

Parson said he hasn’t spoken to President Trump, but said his staff has been in contact with White House staff.

Trump has been briefed about the situation and tweeted his condolences Friday morning.</s>Seventeen people were killed after a duck boat, operating on Table Rock Lake, near Branson, Missouri, sank on Thursday night. Another 14 people who were on the Ride the Ducks boat survived. The National Safety Transportation Board is sending a team to investigate, the agency said early this morning.

At the time of the sinking, “Branson was under a severe thunderstorm warning,” CNN reports . The president of Ripley Entertainment, Jim Pattison, which owns Ride the Ducks, told CBS This Morning that the boat “shouldn't have been in the water if, if what happened, happened.” He continued: “We had other boats in the water earlier, and it had been a very sort of calm experience up until this came very suddenly.”

Duck boats, which are popular around the U.S., operate both on land and in the water, in places like Baltimore, Boston, Washington, D.C., as well as in Branson.

Ride the Ducks issued a statement online , saying, “The safety of our guests and employees is our number one priority. Ride the Ducks will be closed for business while we support the investigation, and to allow time to grieve for the families and the community.”

President Trump tweeted his condolences on Wednesday, writing, “My deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those involved in the terrible boat accident which just took place in Missouri. Such a tragedy, such a great loss."

Missouri Governor Mike Parson also tweeted: "Very sad to hear about this horrible accident," he wrote.

Branson is one of many vacation destinations in the Ozarks of Southern Missouri , an area that's particularly popular in summertime thanks to attractions like Silver Dollar City , a huge number of hotels (including the Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri), and of course Table Rock Lake itself.</s>Eleven people are dead, five are missing, seven others are hospitalized after a "mass casualty" drowning incident Thursday on Table Rock Lake in Missouri.

According to Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader, a tourist boat sank with 31 people on board.

Rader said an off-duty sheriff's deputy was working security at the scene and helped rescue survivors. Recovery efforts continued after dark, with some passengers still unaccounted for. A dive team from Western Taney County was in the water and a team from the Missouri State Highway Patrol was on the way, as well.

First responders from multiple agencies responded to the incident, initially reported as a “mass casualty incident” involving a "tourist type boat" on Table Rock Lake near Branson.

Divers staged near the Showboat Branson Belle, according to a statement issued by the Southern Stone County Fire Protection District.

The statement, issued at 8:20 p.m., specified that the Branson Belle itself was not involved.

Rader said weather was thought to have caused a Ride the Ducks tourist boat to capsize. Weather reports said high winds hit the area at about 7 p.m.

Jim Pulley, owner of Sea Tow Table Rock Lake, said the storm hit the lake with 80 mph winds that kicked up waves 5 feet high.

He said his Sea Tow boats were helping with crowd control near the site where the Duck boat capsized a short distance behind the Showboat Branson Belle, which was tied to its dock.

“The Ducks have a ramp access where they put in, and when the wind hit it pushed the boat right square behind the Branson Belle,” Pulley said.

Pulley said several docks also broke loose during the wind storm, and the Water Patrol helped rescue people from two personal watercraft boats that capsized in the wind.</s>BRANSON, Mo. – Eight people are dead and seven others hospitalized after a "mass casualty" drowning incident Thursday on Table Rock Lake in Missouri.

According to Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader, a tourist boat reportedly sank with 31 people on board.

Rader said an off-duty sheriff's deputy was working security at the scene and helped rescue survivors. Recovery efforts continued after dark, with some passengers still unaccounted for. A dive team from Western Taney County was in the water and a team from the Missouri State Highway Patrol was on the way, as well.

First responders from multiple agencies responded to the incident, initially reported as a “mass casualty incident” involving a "tourist type boat" on Table Rock Lake near Branson.

Divers staged near the Showboat Branson Belle, according to a statement issued by the Southern Stone County Fire Protection District.

The statement, issued at 8:20 p.m., specified that the Branson Belle itself was not involved.

Rader said weather was thought to have caused a Ride the Ducks tourist boat to capsize. Weather reports said high winds hit the area at about 7 p.m.

Jim Pulley, owner of Sea Tow Table Rock Lake, said the storm hit the lake with 80 mph winds that kicked up waves 5 feet high.

He said his Sea Tow boats were helping with crowd control near the site where the Duck boat capsized a short distance behind the Showboat Branson Belle, which was tied to its dock.

“The Ducks have a ramp access where they put in, and when the wind hit it pushed the boat right square behind the Branson Belle,” Pulley said.

Pulley said several docks also broke loose during the wind storm, and the Water Patrol helped rescue people from two personal watercraft boats that capsized in the wind.

A spokeswoman for Ripley's Believe It Or Not said the company is aware of an incident involving one of its tour boats. The schedule for Thursday showed there were tours every 30 minutes from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Steve Linderberg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said a severe line of storms blew through the Springfield area between 6:15 and 6:30 p.m. "We had a line of very strong thunderstorms that caused 74 mph winds here in Springfield," he said.

Linderberg said a top wind speed of 63 mph was measured at the Branson Airport near 7 p.m. Thursday. He said the winds were likely stronger over the lake.</s>Authorities say 11 people died after a duck boat carrying about 31 passengers capsized and sank Thursday on Table Rock Lake near the tourist town of Branson, Missouri.

Some of the dead passengers were children, Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader told reporters late Thursday night. Seven people were transported to the hospital. Of those, one sustained serious injuries, Rader said.

Search efforts for survivors halted overnight but were scheduled to continue in the morning. Five people may be still missing, Rader said.

“This is going to be all night into tomorrow,” he said, “we’re still going to be working on this.”

National Transportation Safety Board investigators are expected to arrive Friday to help determine the cause of the tragedy.

The boat, which had life jackets on board, capsized and sank due to intense winds and thunderstorms, Rader said. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for the area at around 4:30 p.m. local time.

“The winds were behind what is called a ‘gust front,'” reported weather blogger meteorologist Mike Smith. “There were also intense winds with the heavy rain when it arrived which would have decreased visibility to very low values.” Gusts of up to 70 or 80 mph were reported around the time of the sinking, he wrote.

The duck boat that sank was one of two still operating during the storm, Rader said. The boats were returning to shore when the incident happened, he said. Some of those on the capsized boat were able to swim to shore, the Kansas City Star reported.

Video captured by onlookers just before the incident showed two duck boats churning up and down through choppy waves, with water spraying in every direction.

One of the boats lags behind the other, nose-diving into the waves. A speed boat can be seen driving up behind the duck boats.

“Oh my gosh, oh no,” a woman is heard saying in the background of the video. “Somebody needs to help them.”

“That duck, I don’t know if they’re going to make it back,” a man is also heard saying on the video.

Another video was captured by a passenger inside the second duck boat, which made it safely to shore. Footage from Paul Lemus and published by local news outlets shows a number of adults and children inside the boat. Waves crash up against the windows and the Showboat Branson Belle can be seen docked nearby, on the lake’s shore by Table Rock State Park.

According to the Southern Stone County Fire Protection District, multiple agencies responded to the scene of a “mass casualty incident” involving a “tourist type boat,” shortly after 7 p.m. local time.

At 7:16 p.m., a call to Taney County Public Safety dispatch asked for a “water rescue” just north of the site of the Showboat Branson Belle.

“Will be a duck that has capsized. We have approximately 30 individuals in the water,” said a voice on the dispatch, according to a recording captured on Broadcastify.com. “It’s pretty intense here,” another voice said later.

Among the boat’s passengers was a sheriff’s deputy, who immediately assisted in the rescue effort, according to Rader.

At 7:27 p.m., a voice over the dispatch said several people had already “been picked up.”

“We have injuries, a possible CPR in progress. There’s a couple of pontoons to get people out of the water …”

“Some people are already on land,” another caller said later. “We do definitely need an ambulance there.”

One responder asked if those at the scene of the victims could push back bystanders. “We have people out here taking pictures.”

Just before 7:45 p.m., another member of the response team said they had “at least six or seven fatalities.”

“We’re trying to dive for more missing people,” he said. “We’re treating some, obviously the injured ones.”

The storm rolled in suddenly while Rachel Zerby was camping along the lake near where the duck boat capsized, she told The Washington Post.

“We have a clear line of sight to both across the water,” Zerby said. “I noticed most of the boats had left the water, but there were still at least two or maybe three ducks still near the Belle.”

Rader told reporters he did not know how deep the water was where the boat sank. He said he believed the deaths to be caused by drowning.

“This is a very tough night for us. It’s going to be a long night for a lot of people,” Melody Pettit, communications manager for the city of Branson, said during a press briefing outside city hall. “It’s gut-wrenching.”

Families of victims were welcomed to gather inside city hall overnight. The city set up a command post inside, offering chaplains, psychologists and Red Cross services to families, Pettit said.

Originally created by the U.S. Army for use in World War II, DUKWs (called “ducks”) were amphibious trucks shaped like boats that ferried ammunition, supplies and equipment from offshore ships to troops stationed on beaches. In later years, they were modified for recreation and riding in duck boats has become a highly popular tourist activity.

The duck boat that capsized was owned by Ride the Ducks Branson, a tourism company that takes people on tours of the Ozarks through land and water using the amphibious vehicles. Ride the Ducks is a national company that has multiple locations across the U.S., including Guam. The Branson operation was purchased last year by Ripley Entertainment, a company spokesperson Suzanne Smagala-Potts told The Washington Post.

Duck boats have had a history of fatal accidents both in the water and on land.

In what may be the most deadly incident, 13 people died in 1999 after a duck boat suddenly started taking on water while on a tour of Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Ark.

In 2015, a Ride the Ducks boat crashed into a charter bus on the Aurora Bridge in Seattle and five college students were killed. Dozens of people were injured. Ride the Ducks International LLC agreed the following year to pay $1 million for violating federal safety regulations, according to the Seattle Times.

However, Smagala-Potts said this is the first time there has ever been an accident involving the duck boats in Branson. The company has been operating in the city for 40 years and is “a staple of Branson,” Smagala-Potts said.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic accident that occurred this evening at Ride The Ducks Branson,” she said. “This incident has deeply affected all of us. We will continue to do all we can to assist the families who were involved and the authorities as they continue with the search and rescue.”

Located about 20 minutes from Branson, Table Rock Lake is a popular destination for “watercraft aficionados,” according to its website. The lake stretches across 45,000 surface acres and 800 miles of shoreline.

Roger Brallier, who is a duck boat captain for the same company, told The Post that all of the captains are “very close.”

“Were it not for grace of God, it could’ve been me on the boat,” he also said. “All of our hearts are completely broken right now.”</s>The country-and-western tourist town of Branson, Missouri, mourned Friday for more than a dozen sightseers who were killed when a duck boat capsized and sank in stormy weather in the deadliest such accident in almost two decades.

Divers found four more bodies in Table Rock Lake, bringing the death toll to 17, including nine people from the same family and the crew member who was driving the amphibious boat. In their initial assessment, authorities blamed thunderstorms and winds that approached hurricane strength. A full investigation was underway.

"Branson is a city full of smiles," Mayor Karen Best said. "We have so much fun here. But today we are grieving and crying."

Trisha Ayers was among the mourners who stopped to pay their respects at a parked car that was covered with flowers because it was believed to belong to a dead tourist.

Ayers said she understood how the boat got caught on the lake because the weather on Thursday changed in 10 minutes from sunshine to gale-force winds that bent traffic signs.

"I hope it won't tarnish Branson," she said with tears in her eyes. "About 80 percent of our income comes from tourists. We love them."

The risk of heavy weather was apparent hours before the boat left shore.

The weather service station in Springfield, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Branson, issued a severe thunderstorm watch for its immediate area Thursday, saying conditions were ripe for winds of 70 mph. It followed up at 6:32 p.m. with a severe thunderstorm warning for three counties that included Branson and the lake. The warning mentioned both locations. The boat went down about 40 minutes later, shortly after 7 p.m.

"When we issue a warning, it means take action," meteorologist Kelsey Angle said.

Suzanne Smagala with Ripley Entertainment, which owns Ride the Ducks in Branson, said the company was assisting authorities. She said this was the company's only accident in more than 40 years of operation.

The boat was carrying 29 passengers and two crew members on a pleasure cruise, and everyone aboard had been accounted for by midday Friday. Seven of the 14 survivors were hurt when the vessel went down. At least two were hospitalized in critical condition. The captain survived, authorities said.

Brayden Malaske, of Harrah, Oklahoma, was on vacation with family when he boarded a replica 19th-century paddle-wheeler known as the Branson Belle on the same lake just before the storm hit.

At the time, he said, the lake seemed calm, and no one was worried about the weather.

"But it suddenly got very dark," he recalled.

In a short video taken by Malaske from a dock, the duck boat can be seen wallowing through the choppy, wind-whipped lake, with water only inches from its windows. Dark, rolling waves crash over its front end. The footage ends before the boat capsizes.

Later, people on Malaske's boat saw a duck boat passenger "hanging on for dear life" to the paddle wheel of the Belle, he said.

The mayor identified the crew member driving the boat as Bob Williams, known informally as "Captain Bob."

"He was at a great ambassador for Branson," Best said. "He was at every event. He knew everyone. He was always promoting Branson."

Authorities had not publicly identified the dead but said they included a 1-year-old child.

Named for their ability to travel on land and in water, duck boats have been involved in other serious accidents in the past, including the deaths of more than 40 people since 1999.

Five college students were killed in 2015 in Seattle when a duck boat collided with a bus. Thirteen people died in 1999 when a boat sank near Hot Springs, Arkansas.

"Duck boats are death traps," said Andrew Duffy, an attorney whose Philadelphia law firm handled litigation related to two fatal duck boat accidents there. "They're not fit for water or land because they are half car and half boat."

Safety advocates have sought improvements and complained that too many agencies regulate the boats with varying safety requirements.

The boats were originally designed for the military, specifically to transport troops and supplies in World War II. They were later modified for use as sightseeing vehicles.

Passengers on a nearby boat described the chaos on the lake as the winds picked up and the water turned rough.

"Debris was flying everywhere," Allison Lester said in an interview Friday with ABC's "Good Morning America."

Lester's boyfriend, Trent Behr, said they saw a woman in the water and helped to pull her into the boat. He said he was about to start CPR when an EMT arrived and took over.

Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader urged anyone with video or photos of the accident to contact authorities.

Divers quickly located the vessel, which came to rest on its wheels on the lakebed, and authorities planned to recover it later Friday.

The boat sank in 40 feet (12 meters) of water and then rolled on its wheels into a deeper area with 80 feet (25 meters) of water. Investigators had no information about whether passengers were wearing life jackets or whether they were stowed onboard, the sheriff said.

The Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board planned to help with the investigation.

Branson, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City, is a country-themed tourist mecca built on a reputation for patriotic and religious-themed shows in numerous theaters.

Table Rock Lake, east of Branson, was created in the late 1950s when the Corps of Army Engineers built a dam across the White River to provide hydroelectric power to the Ozarks.</s>BRANSON, Missouri – Divers are searching Friday for four people still missing after a duck boat packed with tourists capsized in high winds on a southwest Missouri lake, killing at least 13 people.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Jason Pace said 14 people survived, including seven who were injured when the Ride the Ducks boat sank on Table Rock Lake in Branson Thursday evening.

Patrol divers found two more bodies early Friday, raising the death toll from 11 to 13, Pace said.

Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said Thursday that stormy weather likely made the boat capsize. Another duck boat on the lake made it safely back to shore.

Passengers on a nearby boat told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that the water became rough as the wind picked up.

“Debris was flying everywhere,” Allison Lester said in an interview Friday.

Lester’s boyfriend, Trent Behr, said they saw the body of a woman in the water and helped to pull her into the boat. He said he was about to start CPR when an EMT arrived and took over.

A spokeswoman for the Cox Medical Center Branson said four adults and three children arrived at the hospital shortly after the incident. Two adults are in critical condition and the others were treated for minor injuries, Brandei Clifton said.

Steve Lindenberg, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Springfield, Missouri, said the agency issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Branson area Thursday evening. Lindenberg said winds reached speeds of more than 60 mph (100 kph).

Capt. Jim Pulley, owner of Sea Tow Table Rock Lake, told the Springfield News-Leader that the winds pushed the duck boat that capsized behind a steamboat that was tied to the dock.

Rader said an off-duty sheriff’s deputy working security for the boat company helped rescue people after the boat capsized. Dive teams from several law enforcement agencies assisted in the effort.

The National Transportation Safety Board said investigators will arrive on the scene Friday morning.

President Donald Trump tweeted his condolences Friday, extending his deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those involved.

Suzanne Smagala with Ripley Entertainment, which owns Ride the Ducks in Branson, said the company was assisting authorities with the rescue effort. Smagala added this was the Branson tour’s only accident in more than 40 years of operation.

Branson is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City and is a popular vacation spot for families and other tourists looking for entertainment ranging from theme parks to live music. An EF2 tornado that bounced through downtown Branson in 2012 destroyed dozens of buildings and injured about three dozen people, but killed no one.

Duck boats, which can travel on land and in water, have been involved in other deadly incidents in the past. Five college students were killed in 2015 in Seattle when a duck boat collided with a bus, and 13 people died in 1999 when a duck boat sank near Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Safety advocates have sought improvements since the Arkansas deaths. Critics argued that part of the problem is that too many agencies regulate the boats with varying safety requirements.

Duck boats were originally used by the U.S. military in World War II to transport troops and supplies, and later were modified for use as sightseeing vehicles.</s>(Reuters) - Divers on Friday pulled the last bodies from the wreckage of a “duck boat” that sank a day earlier during a storm in a lake near a popular Missouri destination, killing 17 people in one of the deadliest U.S. tourist incidents in years.

The World War Two-style amphibious vehicle was filled with 31 passengers including children when a microburst storm hit Table Rock Lake outside Branson, Missouri. A video of the incident showed it battered by waves.

Duck boats have been involved in a string of deadly incidents that have killed more than three dozen people across the United States over the past two decades, by drowning and in crashes on land.

Wendy Doucey, an office manager at the Stone County sheriff’s office, said divers on Friday morning recovered the last four bodies from the sunken duck boat, 80 feet (24 m) under water.

“It’s important that we find out for sure what events did occur,” Missouri Governor Michael Parson said at a Friday morning news conference. “Today it’s just still early.”

The incident began around 7 p.m. (0000 GMT) on Thursday after thunderstorms rolled through the area, when two duck boats were out on the lake, officials said. Both headed back to shore but only one made it.

“From what I understand there was life jackets in the duck,” Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader told the press conference. He declined to say whether passengers had been wearing them.

The National Transportation Safety Board and U.S. Coast Guard are investigating, officials said. Rader noted that the boat’s captain survived the sinking but the driver did not.

Officials did not comment on the identities or ages of the other people who drowned.

‘NEVER SEEN IT LIKE THIS’

Rick Kettles, the owner of the Lakeside Resort General Store and Restaurant, said he had never before seen conditions on Table Rock Lake like Thursday’s.

“I am 54 and I started coming here when I was 6 or 7 years old. I have been on my lake most of my life and I have never seen it like this,” Kettles said. “I am trying to figure out why the boats were out there. I don’t get it, having a captain’s license myself.”

A microburst is a severe, localized wind gust, blasting down from a thunderstorm, typically covering an area less than 2.5 miles (4 km) in diameter and lasting less than five minutes.

The company that owned the duck boat, Ripley Entertainment, said it was working with families of the victims.

“Our number one priority is the families and our employees that were affected,” spokeswoman Suzanne Smagala-Potts said on Thursday.

Table Rock Lake is a 67-square-mile (174 sq km) reservoir on the White River.

Duck vehicles are modeled on the landing craft used in the D-Day invasion and used on sightseeing tours around the world.

Thirteen people died in 1999 when the duck boat they were riding near Hot Springs, Arkansas, sank suddenly. Following that incident, the NTSB warned the boats’ canopy roofs presented a hazard, making it difficult for people, even those wearing a life jacket, to escape when the craft begins to sink.

“You drown if you do, you drown if you don’t,” said Robert Mongeluzzi, a Philadelphia lawyer who has represented victims of other duck boat disasters.

The company that builds ducks, Ride the Ducks International LLC, agreed in 2016 to pay a $1 million fine after one of the vehicles collided with a bus in Seattle, killing five international students.

The company admitted to failing to comply with U.S. vehicle manufacturing rules.

Two tourists died in Philadelphia in 2010 when the duck boat they were riding in was struck by a tugboat on the Delaware River.

Branson is a family-friendly tourist destination whose attractions include “Dolly Parton’s Stampede” dinner theater, the Amazing Acrobats of Shanghai and a Titanic museum with a model of the sunken vessel’s front half.</s>11 dead as tourist boat capsizes in MO; others still missing

11 dead as tourist boat capsizes in MO; others still missing

A Missouri sheriff says at least 11 people have now been confirmed dead after a boat carrying tourists on a lake in a popular vacation city capsized and sank.

A Missouri sheriff says at least 11 people have now been confirmed dead after a boat carrying tourists on a lake in a popular vacation city capsized and sank.

(Andrew Jansen/The Springfield News-Leader via AP). Rescue crews work at the scene of a deadly boat accident at Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo., Thursday, July 19, 2018. A sheriff in Missouri said a tourist boat has apparently capsized on the lake, lea...

(Andrew Jansen/The Springfield News-Leader via AP). Rescue crews work at the scene of a deadly boat accident at Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo., Thursday, July 19, 2018. A sheriff in Missouri said a tourist boat has apparently capsized on the lake, lea...

(Andrew Jansen/The Springfield News-Leader via AP). Rescue crews work at the scene of a deadly boat accident at Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo., Thursday, July 19, 2018. A sheriff in Missouri said a tourist boat has apparently capsized on the lake, lea...

(Nathan Papes/The Springfield News-Leader via AP). Emergency responders work at Table Rock Lake after a deadly boat accident in Branson, Mo., Thursday, July 19, 2018. A sheriff in Missouri said a tourist boat has apparently capsized on the lake, leavin...

(Nathan Papes/The Springfield News-Leader via AP). Emergency responders work at Table Rock Lake after a deadly boat accident in Branson, Mo., Thursday, July 19, 2018. A sheriff in Missouri said a tourist boat has apparently capsized on the lake, leavin...

BRANSON, Mo. (AP) - At least 13 people, including children, died after a boat carrying tourists capsized and sank on a lake during a thunderstorm in a country music mecca in southwest Missouri, authorities said Friday.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Jason Pace said four people remain missing Friday after the Ride the Ducks boat sank on Table Rock Lake in Branson Thursday evening. He said 14 people survived, and that seven of them were injured.

Patrol divers found two more bodies early Friday, raising the death toll from 11 to 13, Pace said.

A spokeswoman for the Cox Medical Center Branson said four adults and three children arrived at the hospital shortly after the incident. Two adults are in critical condition and the others were treated for minor injuries, Brandei Clifton said.

Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said Thursday that stormy weather likely made the boat capsize. Another duck boat on the lake made it safely back to shore.

Steve Lindenberg, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Springfield, Missouri, said the agency issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Branson area Thursday evening. Lindenberg said winds reached speeds of more than 60 mph (100 kph).

"It's a warning telling people to take shelter," he said.

Rader said an off-duty sheriff's deputy working security for the boat company helped rescue people after the boat capsized. Dive teams from several law enforcement agencies assisted in the effort.

The National Transportation Safety Board said investigators will arrive on the scene Friday morning.

Suzanne Smagala with Ripley Entertainment, which owns Ride the Ducks in Branson, said the company was assisting authorities with the rescue effort. Smagala added this was the Branson tour's only accident in more than 40 years of operation.

Branson is about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Kansas City and is a popular vacation spot for families and other tourists looking for entertainment ranging from theme parks to live music. An EF2 tornado that bounced through downtown Branson in 2012 destroyed dozens of buildings and injured about three dozen people, but killed no one.

Duck boats, which can travel on land and in water, have been involved in other deadly incidents in the past. Five college students were killed in 2015 in Seattle when a duck boat collided with a bus, and 13 people died in 1999 when a duck boat sank near Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Safety advocates have sought improvements since the Arkansas deaths. Critics argued that part of the problem is that too many agencies regulate the boats with varying safety requirements.

Duck boats were originally used by the U.S. military in World War II to transport troops and supplies, and later were modified for use as sightseeing vehicles.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Guain Holloman, of Tennessee, places a flower on the windshield of a car in the Ride the Ducks parking lot in Branson on Friday July 20, 2018. At least 13 people, including children, are dead after an amphibious duck boat capsized on a lake at this tourism hot spot during a severe thunderstorm. ORG XMIT: JG 137309 Peter Strzok 7/12/2018 (Via OlyDrop)

BRANSON, Mo. — Divers recovered the four remaining bodies Friday from a lake at this tourism hot spot, bringing the death toll to 17 after an amphibious duck boat capsized during a severe thunderstorm that churned up 5-foot waves.

Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader told MSNBC that the recovery of the four remaining missing bodies from Table Rock Lake "brings some closure" to the tragedy that struck the tourist vessel.

"The patrol dive team has done an awesome job recovering the other four bodies," he said.

The driver of the Ride the Ducks tourist boat was among the victims as the vessel sank in 40 feet of water, Rader told reporters earlier Friday. The captain of the boat survived.

The boat, a hybrid land and water vehicle, had 31 people on board on Table Rock Lake when the incident happened near the Showboat Branson Belle.

An off-duty sheriff's deputy, who was working on the showboat when a line of the thunderstorms blew through between 6:15 and 6:30 p.m., jumped in the water to save some of the passengers, Rader said.

Four adults and three children were being treated late Friday at Cox Medical Center Branson, hospital spokeswoman Kaitlyn McConnell said. Two adults were in critical condition; the others were treated for minor injuries.

Rader said the amphibious boat is currently resting upright on its wheels in 80 feet of water. The vessel was expected to be pulled from the lake Friday, he added.

Rader said it was too early to know the cause of the incident. He said there were life jackets in the boat but it's not clear if they were used. "It's been a very trying night," he said.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said other details of the accident remained unclear as local, state and federal authorities began an investigation.

“It’s a sad occasion, a lot of people involved,” he said. “A lot of families involved, down here on vacation trying to enjoy time, and it ends up with an incident like this.”

"Right now is just a time for thoughts and prayers," Parson added. "There is a lot of healing that has to take place right now."

A second duck boat on the lake in southwest Missouri, about 225 miles southwest of St. Louis, made it safely to shore. U.S. military in World War II originally used duck boats to transport troops and supplies, and they were later modified for use as sightseeing vehicles.

Duck boats, which can travel on land and in water, have been involved in other deadly incidents in the past. Five college students were killed in 2015 in Seattle when a duck boat collided with a bus, and 13 people died in 1999 when a duck boat sank near Hot Springs, Arkansas.

In 2010, a distracted tug boat pilot, who had been on his cell phone or laptop because of a family emergency, rammed a barge into a stalled duck boat in the Delaware River, in Philadelphia, throwing 35 people into the water. Two Hungarian students died in the incident.

Suzanne Smagala with Ripley Entertainment, which owns Ride the Ducks in Branson, said the company was assisting authorities with the rescue effort. Smagala added this was the Branson tour’s only accident in more than 40 years of operation.

Branson is about 200 miles southeast of Kansas City and is a popular vacation spot for families and other tourists looking for entertainment ranging from theme parks to live music.

The storm Thursday night in Branson hit the lake with 80 mph winds that kicked up waves 5 feet high, said Capt. Jim Pulley, owner of Sea Tow Table Rock Lake.

“Western Taney County has got divers in the water where the duck boat went down,” Pulley said. “The ducks have a ramp access where they put in, and when the wind hit it pushed the boat right square behind the Branson Belle.”

National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning Thursday evening for the Branson area. Meteorologist Steve Lindenberg said a top wind speed of 63 mph was measured at the Branson Airport near 7 p.m. and likely was stronger over the lake.

"There's nothing to slow down winds in an open area," he said.

President Donald Trump, in a tweet, extended his “deepest sympathies” to those affected by the boat accident.

“Such a tragedy, such a great loss. May God be with you all!” he tweeted.

Schmitt reports for the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader. Stanglin reported from McLean, Va. Contributing: The Associated Press
At least 17 people are killed and an unknown number of others missing after a duck boat carrying 31 people capsizes and sinks on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, United States.