Missouri duck boat passengers were told not to wear life jackets by captain, survivor says

'When it was time to grab them it was too late. I believe that a lot of people could have been spared'

The captain of a tour boat that sank killing 17 people had told passengers not to bother putting on life jackets, a survivor has claimed.

Nine members of a Tia Coleman’s family were among those who died when the amphibious duck boat capsized during bad weather at Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri.

She said: "The captain told us 'Don't worry about grabbing the life jackets, you won't need them,' so nobody grabbed them because we listened to the captain and he told us to stay seated.

"However, in doing that, when it was time to grab them it was too late. I believe that a lot of people could have been spared."

“I lost all my children, I lost my husband, I lost my mother-in-law, I lost my father-in-law, I lost my uncle, I lost my sister-in-law – she was my sister – and I lost my nephew, I'm OK, but this is really hard," she told Fox News.

Officials have not yet released the full list of victims but over night more details started to emerge. Among those who perished were the boat driver and a father and son visiting from Arkansas. They ranged in age from one to 70.

The captain survived, along with just 14 passengers.

Ms Coleman spoke out as it was also suggested the vessel must have gone onto the water long after officials weather warnings were made.

The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the area earlier in the day and said winds of 70mph were possible. It followed that up at 6.32pm with a severe thunderstorm warning for three counties which included Branson and the lake.

Rescue crews work at the scene of a deadly boat accident at Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri. (AP)

The boat went down about 40 minutes later, shortly after 7pm local time.

Video footage shot from the shore showed two vessels struggling through increasingly choppy waters. One of the boats made it to safety but the other was driven back by the wind.

"When we issue a warning, it means take action," said meteorologist Kelsey Angle,

But Jim Pattison, owner of the Ride The Duck company, claimed the storm "came out of basically nowhere.

"Usually the lake is very placid and it's not a long tour, they go in and kind of around an island and back. We had other boats in the water earlier and it had been a great, sort of calm experience.”

A full investigation is now being conducted with the help of the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board. Sheriff Doug Rader told reporters several factors were being looked into. He could not say whether passengers were wearing life jackets or if the boat's windows were open.

The vessel sank in 40ft of water before plunging to a final depth of 80ft.

On Friday night a vigil in the town – a popular tourist destination – was attended by 300 people.

"Even though we may not know any of them it doesn't matter," said attendee Tammy Miesner, 54, of Branson. "It's a part of our lives to be there for each other."