Captain Files Personal Injury Suit in Philadelphia Duck Boat Tragedy
Under siege himself, the man at the helm when a disabled duck boat was rammed by a city barge in a tragic Philadelphia personal injury accident that killed two young tourists has filed a negligence lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia and the tugboat company hired to pilot the barge. The sensational personal injury accident, which occurred on a sunny summer afternoon in front of scores of waterfront sightseers, called a halt to duck boat tours in Philadelphia and sparked a national debate about the safety of the popular World War II-era land/water vessels that have become a tourist staple in many U.S. cities.
In the July accident, a duck boat carrying 35 passengers became disabled after suffering engine trouble and came to a stop on the Delaware River. The captain radioed for rescue and dropped anchor to keep his craft from drifting before shutting down the smoking electrical system. Reported investigation indicates that, despite repeated radioed warnings from the duck boat, crew members of the tugboat pushing a city garbage barge down the river did not see the duck boat and ran it over. Crew and passengers trapped underwater struggled to escape by swimming through the duck boat's windows. Two Hungarian tourists, ages 16 and 20, never made it and drowned.
The Philadelphia negligence lawsuit brought by the duck boat captain says he suffered severe emotional trauma and severe injuries to his back, neck, head, arms and legs during the accident. Like many of his passengers, the captain was trapped under water and could see the barge passing above him as he struggled to escape from the submerged craft. His attorney said the captain is still haunted by the "horror" of that day.
