Company settles lawsuits over Missouri duck boat that sank

July 11, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. | Updated July 11, 2019 at 2:27 p.m.

by Associated Press

FILE- In this July 23, 2018, file photo the duck boat that sank on July 19 in Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo., is raised. The company that owns the boat that sank last summer, killing 17 people, announced Thursday, March 21, 2019, that it won't operate the vessels this year because of the ongoing investigation and will instead open a replacement attraction in the tourist town of Branson. (Nathan Papes/The Springfield News-Leader via AP, File)
FILE- In this July 23, 2018, file photo the duck boat that sank on July 19 in Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo., is raised. The company that owns the boat that sank last summer, killing 17 people, announced Thursday, March 21, 2019, that it won't operate the vessels this year because of the ongoing investigation and will instead open a replacement attraction in the tourist town of Branson. (Nathan Papes/The Springfield News-Leader via AP, File)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A company that owns a duck boat that sank on a Missouri lake last summer, killing 17 people, said that it has settled or is in the process of settling more than half of the lawsuits it faces.

KYTV reports that Ripley Entertainment made the disclosure in documents filed this month in federal court. The settled lawsuits include many stemming from the deaths of nine members of an Indiana family.

Ripley Entertainment said in a statement that the settlements demonstrate the company's "continuing commitment to work with the victims and families." The company says it won't discuss details of the settlements out of "respect for the privacy of the families."

The company suspended operation of the boats after the sinking. Three of its employees face federal charges, including the captain.

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