Witness’ video shows rough conditions before duck boat sinks at Table Rock Lake

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WARNING: Some may find the above video disturbing.

BRANSON, Mo. — Original Post

When choppy waves began crashing against two duck boats at Table Rock Lake, Jennie Phillips-Hudson Carr started recording.

“We are at Branson and on the showboat! A storm came in as we got on and there was 2 ducks that you ride out there and 1 went under,” she posted Thursday night on Facebook along with video of the boats bobbing up and down.

See the footage in the video player above.

“Not sure if everyone on it is OK.”

One of the duck boats capsized and sank in Table Rock Lake as it struggled toward land, Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader said. At least 17 people died. Children were among the dead.

Fourteen people of the 31 on board survived the ordeal — seven of whom were taken to the hospital.

Shocked onlookers watch

Carr recorded some of the last moments of the struggling duck boat as she and other onlookers watched from nearby while on a dinner cruise on the Showboat Branson Belle.

“Oh my God, those poor people, oh no!” someone repeatedly says in the video as massive waves hit the duck boats, at times nearly burying them.

The observers expressed shock as the tragedy unfolded. “Poor guys, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh.”

“If there are kids on there, those poor babies.”

“Oh no, no, no.”

The video suddenly stops

The video ends abruptly with the boats still struggling to overcome the waves.

Officials would later say the second duck boat dangerously churned up and down through the waves but made it to shore. The other boat capsized around 7 p.m.

By early Friday, Carr had removed the video from her Facebook page.

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