(NEWS CENTER Maine) -- Maine duck boat companies are reviewing their safety procedures after a fatal crash in Missouri involving a duck boat where 17 people died when the boat lost control during a storm.
Maine Duck Tours posted on its Facebook page that it was taking a second look at its policies surrounding going out in inclement weather, and "always err on the side of safety and caution."
Kristopher McClure, president and CEO of Maine Duck Tours, said the staff met first thing this morning to go over safety procedures about how to handle a situation like this and avoid them altogether.
"Earlier this week we canceled all tours due to impending storms and fog," said McClure. “You think of the people and the families and the operator and their life and what they’re going through right now.”
Still, Friday's tours were still full of passengers. Mark Gatesman and his family said the news of the Missouri crash did not deter them from bringing their kids on a ride.
"We really enjoyed it my wife and I did [it], but the kids were too young to remember," said Gatesman. "I thought it was tragic, but we're still willing to give it another try. Sounds like the weather had something to do with it more than the operators or the boat."
One woman said off camera that she would not go on a duck boat because of the incident in Missouri, but Gatesman said he appreciated Maine Duck Tours' proactive approach to safety.
"I think it's good for businesses to do that to make sure people are safe," said Gatesman.
McClure said the company is constantly evaluating safety, especially weather conditions like wind, before departing.
"Casco Bay is a very safe, kind of enclosed waterway, and those weather parameters that are designated by their inspection -- hopefully everyone continues to hold to those," said Lt.Junior Grade Chellsey Phillips of the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern New England. "They're going through the right actions to make sure their vessel is safe and stable -- not only for the passengers but also the operations they're completing. "
McClure said the duck boats are strictly regulated by the United State Coast Guard, requiring life jackets for all 36 passengers the one-boat fleet can carry, plus the two crewmembers. McClure stressed that the style of boat Maine Duck Tours uses is not the World War II DUKW-style boat like the one in Missouri, but is instead a newer, more updated model.
Drivers at Maine Duck Tours are required to have a Coast Guard 100-ton master's license, as well as a DOT Commercial Driver's License Class B with passenger endorsement.
Maine Duck Tours has been operating in Portland since 2005 with no major violations. Its lone vessel, "Bufflehead," recently passed its annual USCG hull inspection and a stability test to operate in Portland Harbor -- and meeting Coast Guard rules to have accessible life jackets for all 36 passengers and two crewmembers.