Ride the Ducks
 Ride the Ducks logo | |
| Amphibious vehicle tours | |
| Industry | Tourism |
| Founded | Branson, Missouri, 1977 |
| Founder | Bob McDowell |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
Number of locations | 5 |
| Subsidiaries | Classic Cable Car, Amphibious Vehicle Manufacturing |
| Website |
www |
Ride the Ducks is a national duck tour operator, and an eponymous tourist attraction in U.S. cities such as Branson, Missouri; Newport, Kentucky; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Stone Mountain Park, Georgia.[1] It makes use of over 90 amphibious vehicles (nicknamed "ducks") to provide tours of cities by boat and by land. Ride the Ducks is owned by Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation, which is involved in various family entertainment ventures.
Ride the Ducks of San Francisco operates Classic Cable Car Sightseeing in which customers can take a city tour on a San Francisco Classic Cable Car.[2]
Similar duck-boat based tours operate in other cities (such as Cincinnati, Boston, Portland, Seattle,[3] and Toronto), but are not operated by Ride the Ducks. Ride the Ducks has provided vehicles to some of these other companies, such as their relationship with Boston Duck Tours.[4]
The Ducks
The actual vehicle is based on the famous World War II DUKW amphibious design (see post-war use). Today, the company manufactures its own amphibious vehicles that incorporate advances in marine design and safety.[5] Drivers are certified by the Coast Guard and hold commercial drivers' licences, and the vehicles are all equipped with personal flotation devices.[6]
Incidents
The duck boats operated by Ride the Ducks have been involved in a number of incidents. In July 2010 one of the amphibious vehicles stalled on the Delaware River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and was struck by a barge, sinking the duck boat and killing two of the passengers. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the accident was the tugboat operator's inattention to his duties.[7]
On May 8, 2015, a Ride the Ducks boat struck and killed a woman crossing the street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's Chinatown section. Witnesses at the scene say that the woman crossed against a red light while viewing content on a tablet and was struck while in the boat's front blind spot. The incident is still being investigated.[8]
References
- ↑ "About us". Ride the Ducks. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
- ↑ "Classic Cable Car Sightseeing and Charters | San Francisco Sightseeing Tours and Cable Car Charters". Classiccablecar.com. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
- ↑ "Fun and unique tours of Seattle! Call 206-441-DUCK!". Ride the Ducks of Seattle. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
- ↑ "About Ride the Ducks".
- ↑ Archived February 26, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Phillips, Bianca. "Splashdown | We Recommend". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
- ↑ "Families of Philadelphia 'duck boat' victims get $15M settlement". Cable News Network. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
- ↑ "Woman Struck, Killed by Duck Boat in Philadelphia's Chinatown Section." 6abc.com. ABC Inc., WPVI-TV Philadelphia, 8 May 2015today it was. Web. 8 May 2015.