The Ramming of Duck 34 - Philadelphia

[@BrickImmortar]

This was narrated/streamed Live on Thursday Jan 12. Thanks to all those that attended and to those who couldn't make it, hope to see you at the next one!

[@firey_frost]

I love your videos

[@nukers1234]

Wondered where that livestream went.

[@wolfbyte3171]

I missed the live release, but I have to ask, was it narrated live or simply premiered? I wasn't sure because the effects are present and timed well, but it does have a bit of a slideshow editing where the gaps between music are present. Will there be a standard upload of this incident as well? I don't mean to be overly critical; the animations are great and the soundmixing is very well done, I just find the narration missteps jarring between this and the other uploads. If it was narrated live, then I understand it, but I have to admit to preferring the standard upload.

[@broomstick5480]

I love these videos man I watched the first 10 minutes of the stream but unfortunately had to leave because I was busy.

[@szennyvizcsatorna2483]

I've been watched that as ended stream days after live show. I was Hungarian, and just realized, that was about the so old story with a Hungarian student group. There, in Hungary, happened years ago a more deadly runower, while the Ukrainian captain also not really commands the ship. BTW, that "newest" accident with "M/V Hableány" and "M/V Viking Sigyn" is happened deadlier than duck boat's accident. If you have time to research the accident in details, like this, I think is a good idea. Sorry for my Hunglish, I watching trough the show, with even many times backskipping to read the pictures. I really appreciate it, thanks a lot!

[@aircraftcarrierwo-class]

I appreciate the ferry captain's "I don't have time to talk, I'm saving people" just as much as I appreciate the Coast Guard's immediate "OK those boats carry 30 people I'll just assume that and organize the rescue" rather than getting bogged down in procedure. The swift response really helped here, I think.

[@bodybuildersolitariotrembo275]

If the mate did the same

[@Jonathan_Taylor]

I was on the Duck right in front of this one that day. Probably 45min's before. They stopped the Duck on the ramp going down into the river and replaced the city driver with a coast guard captain. This captain might have only been 18yrs old if he forgot to shave. He told us life preservers were optional and were hanging from the roof. None of this seemed right, even on that day. By the time I was driving back home, It had hit the news. Friends and family were texting me, asking if I was okay. I'm so sorry for the loss of life that day. These tours have been taken away for so many good reasons..

[@themidcentrist]

That ferry captain was badass!

[@MrKeserian]

​@@Jonathan_Taylor just an FYI, the phrasing of your comment makes it sound like the captain (although the technical term is "master" or "vessel's master" as "captain" refers to the rank in a ships chain of command, sorry, that's kinda pedantic) was from the USCG, rather than just being certified by the USCG. Also, the use of PFDs like life jackets is purely optional as they're considered lifesaving devices and things generally happen slow enough on the water that you should have plenty of time to put one on. If the crew on the Duck had communicated the danger to the passengers sooner, there would have been plenty of time for everyone to don life jackets and maybe even abandon the duck.

[@Econautical]

As a tow boat captain in inland waters, this incident has greatly effected how we deal with distractions in the wheelhouse. Companies are monitoring Wheelman with cameras above the pilot seat looking at throttles, wheel andWheelman. Audio recording of radios all secured in "black boxs" Along with implementing "sterile cockpit" situations adopted from the aviation industry.

[@mbvoelker8448]

This is good to hear. Unfortunately, the safety regulations in all venues are written in blood.

[@shadowrunner2323]

Aviation industry is probably a good source for some procedures. Sad it took two lives to put this in place, but I guess the upside is it shouldn't happen again.

[@nativeafroeurasian]

When is "sterile cockpit" in place on the tug? (I think it's necessary to have hot topics like politics and sports abandoned from the bridge/wheelhouse; but not allowing any conversation other than immediate relevant for multiple hours sounds quite dangerous too due to monotonousness and following lack of attentiveness.)

[@TeddyBear-ii4yc]

@@nativeafroeurasian The practice of "sterile cockpit" is a constant reminder that safety is first priority. It must be a ballache for the guys, such as here, of two guys stood in the wheelhouse and they can't say "did you see the game last night?" But frankly, who drives/steers/pilots anything when they're not looking out of a window at where they are going? It's like walking or driving down a street with your eyes closed... you just don't do it! smh

[@Yeaitstemp]

My buddy runs a tug and they also have alarms in wheel house if it doesn't detect movement in like 5 mins in case they fall asleep or anything

[@thefez-cat]

Anyone who is wondering, "pan-pan" (derived from French just like "mayday") is the standard international urgency radio signal. A call of "pan-pan" means that the situation is urgent, but no one is immediately in danger. To use it correctly, you repeat "pan-pan" three times, then identify who you're asking for help (like a specific Coast Guard station), also three times, or else "all stations" three times. Then you identify yourself, your situation, your location, and what help you need. The Morse code equivalent was "X X X." (Dash-dot-dot-dash repeated three times with a pause between each as though it were a word.)

[@jean-bastienjoly5962]

Wait both are derived from French?

[@danrobinson6805]

From the French “panne” or breakdown vs mayday from m’aider ..help me

[@jean-bastienjoly5962]

@@danrobinson6805 oh i see, thanks!

[@corbynluce9755]

Watch deadliest catch the word pan pan is said in there it sends chills down spines

[@Electriceye1984bySam]

@@corbynluce9755I remember that with Captain Keith

[@bo7341]

Honestly I'm surprised that this accident wasn't much deadlier, given the terrifying circumstances.

[@MountainCry]

I went to look it up after this video because I thought I must have misunderstood that only 2 people died. It's amazing that there weren't more deaths.

[@laurat1129]

Yes, true. As if a duck boat being rammed/submerged by a barge on the Delaware weren't terrifying enough, it was a waste barge on a 103F day. (Ugh!) Still, though, these DBT deaths shouldn't happen at all. These were preventable by the company, not accidents.

[@johjoh978]

@@MountainCry that is unreasonably lucky. its like badly written fiction. i was so sure there would be just one or two who DIDNT die.

[@truthseeker2321]

@@cremebrulee4759 Most people must have bailed before the collision. I know that's what I would have done, had I seen that barge bearing down on me.

[@UCCLdIk6R5ECGtaGm7oqO-TQ]

@@truthseeker2321 Think he said only the #2 employee who was stood on the bow managed to jump off before impact as none of the passengers had time.

[@jpatrickgreen]

I got dragged along to one of these Duck Tours in Seattle back in like 2013 before the horrific crash a few years later on the Aurora bridge when one of the Duck's had an axle failure and caused the fatal head on crash with a tour bus. You bring up a point about the single operator in this episode that really stood out to me while on that stupid ride. I could not believe, that one guy (who was working for tips) was the driver, tour guide, boat captain and potentially a safety officer if needed all by himself.

[@sixstringedthing]

Absolutely crazy in a day and age where many land-based venues won't allow any people inside without a First Aid officer and/or security guard present to look out for the safety of patrons. Yet these tour operators were apparently allowed to put thirty people in modified vessels which were seventy years old, questionably fit for purpose, and under the supervision of a single person.

[@jpatrickgreen]

@@sixstringedthing Yes, exactly. Just mindboggling to me. And not to mention that these vehicles has marginal visibility at best for the operator.

[@bluemoon1115]

I'm so glad I never got on one while I lived in Seattle after hearing about these incidents. 😳

[@angelag2662]

It amazes ne they are allowed to stay in business. I would not go on these crappy rides even if you paid for it. Glad you are ok. It's just another example of greed.

[@MultiPurposeReviewer]

I rode the ducks in Seattle twice, once before they added a second crewman and once after. I had fun both times.

[@eaglescout1984]

Insane negligence by the mate. There's multiple people on board your vessel, several who are on duty, and yet rather than ask to be relieved from watch when you experience a personal crisis that would diminish your mental capacity even if you weren't on your phone, you carry on as the sole person responsible for a massive vessel's safe navigation while devoting the majority of your attention to something else.

[@rabies7290]

Yeah, I just don't understand why he wouldn't reach out to someone to cover his watch. I can't imagine any more legitimate reason to ask to be relieved. It begs the question about whether there was a shipboard or company culture that would discourage him from reaching out--I would love to know more about that.

[@cramer4506]

To be honest though, I can kind of sympathize with the poor fellow. He almost certainly wasn't thinking right. Grief and panic are a hell of a drug.

[@annamyob]

​@@cramer4506 Panic can be disabling, but 80 whole minutes, and 18 calls made and received? Situationally aware enough to move to the other wheelhouse, and turn down the radio, yet not to summon relief, the one thing that would have allowed full focus on his son's situation?

[@Ellie-rx3jt]

​@@annamyob Sounds like he got particularly bad tunnel vision. Just started focusing totally on his son rather than what he needed to do in order to be able to safely focus on his son. The moving into the lower wheelhouse and turning the radio volume down was likely done completely without conscious thought, just the reaction of an overwhelmed brain unable to deal with the additional sensory input.

[@IamHenshaw]

I've worked for near coastal towing vessels for several years. I've worked with four different companies. Only one of those would rush to replace someone who was suffering personal tragedy. The rest would threaten your job. Lol

[@azzypics]

Hearing how the company operating the Ducks fought tirelessly against safety recommendations from Coast Guard just to essentially save some money by not hiring deckhands, was very infuriating.

[@papajohncena2516]

Not the the deckhand helped very much in this situation

[@julien8629]

At first I thought a few editing errors had slipped in, minor mispronounced words here and there, but then you mentioned you recorded this live. I'm beyond impressed. The level of quality of this live recording is a standard for other content creators. If recording your videos live allows you to produce more videos at a faster pace, I for one will be glad for it.

[@sage5296]

with like 30 seconds of rereading lines and a bit of video editing you could probably make it almost unnoticeable that this was live at all, which is damn impressive

[@rkp4360]

I had zero idea this was live, I just assumed it was one of those premiere videos that are like streams but not. Absolutely astounding job.

[@spectre2575]

When I was watching this I assumed it was prerecorded and I noticed a few places where it seemed like there were mistakes in editing. However, knowing that this was streamed and narrated completely live in one take makes this hugely impressive how close you got to a produced video. Well done

[@webby2275]

It's amazingly well done. He is clearly an excellent presenter. I'm sure he did at least one practice run, which always helps immensely. You can hear the anxiety here and there, but aside from a few harmless stumbles over words it seemed perfect to me! Definitely something to be proud of here.

[@mattkaustickomments]

I had no idea til the end. I just figured he was cool with the minor stumbles because the video was so long. I’m super impressed too!

[@dannyrose42]

Holy shit I thought he had intentionally left them in and was going to comment that I found it endearing. I never suspected it was actually all live. This guy is one of the best content creators on KZbin. Period.

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

I didn't realize til I came to the comments to say something else lol so far I had thought it was like two slip ups during editing. This is PHENOMENAL for being done live. I hadn't really even noticed fully

[@casey6556]

Same here. Amazing work!

[@oddmothfriend9790]

for some reason these Duck videos have been some of the most visceral of the maritime videos that Brick Immortar has put out (which is saying something). I think its the visual of the sinking duck boat and just the thought that on the vast majority of the people on board are unaware of the dangerous situation they put themselves into in a way that a professional sailor just isn't. A crab fisher and an oil rig operator know their work is dangerous, a family of tourists has no reason to believe the boat tour they're about to go on isn't.

[@LordOceanus]

The second the mate heard about that medical emergency he should have gotten the Master's attention and had him take the shift so he could address it

[@KCzz15]

In a perfect world sure, but it's depressingly common that saying such a thing would result in you getting threatened with being fired if they didn't continue.

[@perotekku]

​@@KCzz15Came here to say the same. Quit my last job after 8 years because I was being harassed by my boss for leaving work early, due to a medical emergency with my young son; much like the mate's story. Regardless, the mate is guilty, but there is a culture in these "macho" fields not to show any weakness and always be "on the job"

[@andeggbreaks]

​@@perotekku Exactly.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@perotekku that is clearly a toxic and dangerous work environment. Good that you left there, I hope you found a job that treats employees with respect.

[@jupetownsend4171]

I used to work for the Philly ducks as a mechanic and I’m still friends with the Captain of this duck. This was a tough day.

[@green4green]

Interesting. Do you know who approved the vessel to sail while it was missing the surge pressure tank cap?

[@firstnamelastname6216]

@@green4green yeah, for real.

[@RebelCowboysRVs]

@@green4green I would not think anyone would approve running it without a $10 part they probably could take off the non operation trucks. I would assume it was removed to top up the coolant and was accidentally left off. Think about how often you see someone driving with their gas cap still open. Its a common mistake to make.

[@mortenfrosthansen84]

Tough day might be a understatement, given that people died

[@digitaltf]

@@RebelCowboysRVs Could be even that it was topped off and the cap placed on but not tightened, came off during the run and was surfing around in the bottom of the engine compartment.. Or even on but not tight and leaking and came off during the collision and sinking because of the change of orientation. Something "duh"-level like that being _missing_ would be surprising. "There but not tightened" would make more sense IMO. If I'm not mistaken they're a quarter-turn cap just like most radiator caps.

[@GothVampiress]

I was on Duck 34 as part of the group with Marshallton United Methodist, the church hosting to the two victims of this accident. Most of us in the group were minors; I had just turned 15, myself. I gave a brief news quote under my birthname, and I'm the redhead in some rescue images - I'm easy to spot, since I've been dyeing my hair fire-engine red since I was a teen. I was, physically, totally unharmed, but I was on the boat when the barge collided and remember the hull splitting in two, then emerging from the water on the opposite side of the barge as I'd been on in the Duck. At the funeral service afterwards, I talked to a man in the other aisle seat across from mine, near the midsection of the boat, and he told me he'd thrown me out the window once the water started rushing in. I never got his name, but I'm sure he saved my life. Because I was a minor, a lot of the details were kept from me. Even during the legal proceedings, my testimony was given privately to lawyers (some of which I believe was quoted in this video,) and I at no time heard anything except that we'd gotten a settlement due to 'essentially, distracted driving.' This is something I've always known I should get around to looking into myself, but it's such a large-scale task that you've handled beautifully. Thank you for covering this incident not as a sensationalized tragedy, but as a lesson in the harm negligence can do.

[@Ethanthemidwesternrailfan]

Hey this is dangerous this should be illegal to and Joe smoe

[@jackthorton10]

Glad your still with us, hope you stay safe out there, and know you are not alone :) take care

[@Mandy7D7]

Those photos of the empty wheelhouse just before the barge slams into the stranded DUK 34 are haunting. Touching on culture changing... smoking used to be allowed in airplanes --but we wouldn't think of allowing it today-- is such a good point. I hope things will change for the better on devices too.

[@RunawayTrain2502]

Look up EgyptAir 804

[@SWIFTO_SCYTHE]

@Will Rivers hell no. Its too dangerous to have an open flame in an enclosed oxygen rich environment. Also that smoke will affect the health of all the non-smokers on board. Safety and health hazzards. You can wait until the plane lands to smoke.

[@fuckduncan3754]

@willrivers1819 it's a bitch for maintanance, constantly breaks shit. Not to mention disgusting for the rest of crew (who have to ride the plane regularly)0 and passengers

[@mikaross4671]

@Will Rivers No.

[@gracejordan110]

@Will Rivers You should look into the dangers of secondhand smoke.

[@altiramoongara9968]

The trick I have found for dealing with distractions while driving is to make them my passenger's problem. We need to go to a "driving is a team sport" mindset. The driver drives the car and the front passenger takes care of the electronics, navigation, etc.

[@markbenedict3279]

Thanks so much, I've been driving the big rigs for 49 years with about 8 million miles and everything you have concluded about cell phones is correct I see it all the time.

[@traumgeist]

As a cyclist who’s been hit three times by drivers on their cell phones I appreciate this. The tug pilot knew better. On occasion I sell parts for WW2 military vehicles including DUKW. These machines were and still are often as much of a danger to their operators as they were to enemy combatants. Many of them were considered expendable and expected to last a maximum of three months or 10,000km. One incident that comes to mind is an M18 Hellcat tank destroyer that killed the owner and his friend in Oregon a few years ago. The owner had an ego and was warned not to put too many grains of gunpowder in the shell, or he’d blow himself up. He apparently really wanted to make a big boom so overfilled it anyway. As far as I know it was a reloaded shell, which is iffy to begin with, so not surprisingly he blew himself up.

[@pcblah]

From what I've seen, most private tank owners prefer to fire the guns with a string and outside of the turret.

[@stuartwhelan233]

Wow unbelievable thanks for sharing that

[@baksatibi]

Thank you for covering this accident, I'm Hungarian but I don't think I've heard about this before. It reminds me of a very similar accident that happened on the river Danube in Budapest almost 4 years ago. The small river cruise boat Hableány (Hungarian for Mermaid) with 33 South-Korean tourists and 2 crew on board was rammed by the much larger river cruise ship Viking Sigyn. Hableány sank in just 7 seconds and unfortunately 27 people died and 1 person had never been found. There is an interim report available (in Hungarian) that only reconstructs what happened and what were the external factors. I'm looking forward to the final report, I won't be surprised if distraction played a major role.

[@samanthazeiger1553]

Thank you for highlighting the deadly issue that is distracted driving. It is absolutely as bad as driving under the influence. We all have a moral obligation to refrain from using devices while operating any kind of vehicle. It enrages me so much every time I see someone on their phone in their car. I am sick of the nonchalant attitude towards this deadly behavior.

[@philw8049]

You aren’t wrong. I’m an only child thanks to an idiot behind the wheel. People seem to have no comprehension just what a deadly weapon a vehicle really is, or they just don’t care.

[@volvo09]

@@philw8049 sorry man... That sucks. When I was 22 I used to clean pools and one of the customers was a brother and sister who lost both their parents in a car crash. They couldn't even legally drink yet, and they were on their own... (No it was not some extravagant insurance money pool, it was a small and basic above ground that was old and not in good shape... But we kept it going for them).

[@bluegreenglue6565]

@@philw8049 I'm truly sorry, friend.

[@skullsaintdead]

Distracted driving (or using your phone) is now known to be worse. Drunk driving, while terrible, at least means the driver is *looking* at the road, though their reactions are slowed, they are still reacting. Using your phone while driving means you're 100% eyes off the road, you might as well be blindfolded. Statistically (esp. now that drunk driving is so taboo), the greater risk is distracted drivers.

[@TAKIZAWAYAMASHITA]

This is even worse with cars like Tesla and other companies following suit with making the entire dashboard a dumbass touch screen and multiple menus to navigate through for essential functions. Case in point in environmental controls like heat or cooling in a regular car had no distractions while in operation as you could intuitively know what controls what by the feel of certain buttons or knobs. You lose any and all tactile feedback with these touch screens, requiring you to look at them thus creating a distraction,in addition to essential functions being buried in multiple menus increasing distraction time. Manufacturers should cease the iphoning of all vehicles, this is even more dangerous if the dashboard module fails or the screen itself fails rendering the operater unable to safely operate the vehicle as many crucial options lie on these screens be it speed or other systems. Where ad older existing systems with knobs and buttons and analog guages are redundant one system failing will rarely if ever take out the entire dashboard.

[@Hailfire97]

Regarding your conclusion, I had to take a ride with a coworker last year after I had car problems. Guy looked at me funny when I buckled my seatbelt in HIS car. Absolutely horrifying realization for me that normal seeming people -- a father with kids -- still don't care.

[@JoshuaTootell]

When I started dating my current GF, I found out that her teenagers NEVER put seatbelts on. I found out that her ex husband never wears one and he passed that on to his kids. She eventually gave up fighting it during the marriage and apparently never revisited this bad habit after the divorce. After quit a lot of restrainer, I have mostly broke them of this habit, though they do occasionally still fight it. I have no idea how they behave in cars when I'm not around. Sadly, I was in a serious car accident only a couple months after meeting them, and I walked away virtually unharmed.

[@ItsJustLisa]

I am one of those who won’t even put the car in gear until everyone is buckled in. It comes from growing up around auto racing. I’ve seen spectacular crashes that drivers walked away from because of their restraints. My dad was one of those guys who had people flabbergasted that the first new car he bought in the mid-60s (when I was preschool age) had seatbelts added and he’d paid *extra* for them. I don’t ever remember our cars *not* having them. And the fact that it took until I was almost out of college to have a national seatbelt law is feckin’ ridiculous!

[@barefootalien]

Yeesh. Wow. Yeah, I won't move the car unless everyone is buckled in. If someone unbuckles in motion, or passengers get rowdy or too distracting, I'm also the guy who absolutely _will_ pull over the car. I've had people on a couple of occasions get quite upset, yell at me that it's their body, but too bad. It's my car, and it's my liability, so you can buckle up, or find some other way to get where you want to go.

[@barefootalien]

@@nerysghemor5781 Right? I've done that before, not with anyone to laugh at me, but feeling rather silly myself. But if I don't, I feel _wrong_ and naked and like I might spontaneously fall out of the seat if I don't, lol

[@5taceydaisy]

@@barefootalien it may be their body but it’s your feckin head they’ll be kicking the hell out of while flying face first through the windshield! So many people wearing seatbelts have died in crashes because someone else in the car was unrestrained and was tossed around like a 100+lb ragdoll into everyone else in the car! My gramps used to scoff at me having a proper car restraint for my dog instead of just putting him in the back or letting him lay on the seat. Not only is my pup’s safety just as important to me as my own and is enough of a reason to protect him in the car, but having 80lbs of long legs and claws bashing into me during a crash increasing my own fatality risk isn’t exactly ideal either! I think Britain did a great commercial on the dangers of kids being unbuckled in the back flying forward and killing those in the front (as well as themselves, obviously) during a crash. It always blows my mind when people don’t think of this and try to argue that not wearing a seatbelt and becoming a grotesque human pinball only affects themselves 🙄

[@Pandidolod]

Seriously cannot believe this is a live video. I've NEVER seen such quality in my life on this website, and I've been watching since I was like five in the early 2000s. All I can say is thank you!

[@chrissanchez2394]

I went on the Seattle ducks twice, both during the days when they only had one operator. No deck hand, just the driver. One of the times was a school tour, and somehow they got clearance to take the duck through the middle of capitol hill Seattle, which is nowhere near their normal route. The lake portion was still almost the same, but looking back, taking three ducks through a new area must have been incredibly dangerous.

[@ItsJustLisa]

I’m from Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Ducks in WisconsinDells (thankfully *not* part of Ride the Ducks) have always had teams of two, one driver and one guide.

[@digitaltf]

@@bickyboo7789 They're fun, but a competent operator does help. I can't swim (don't know how) but do have the good sense to pay attention to how to get out of any location I'm in irrespective of where it's at (vehicle, hotel room, restaurant, whatever). Some habits never die. Anyway, it's always beneficial to think through what to do in any kind of foreseeable emergency.

[@ThePopopotatoes]

​@Bicky Boo same... If someone wants a boat tour I'm sure there's other options. I know in Branson you could relatively easily hire a local with a safer boat to take you on the lake. Dunno about these other places. I went on the Branson tours once but I'm from the region so it wasn't particularly interesting. Looked like the lake at home but with a big paddle steamer (Branson belle)

[@vivianloney]

​@@ThePopopotatoes Yeah, you can always find a tour from a local who will be using a safe vessel. My family always had good luck finding fishermen with great boats doing small group tours. One of my best memories was getting on a lobsterboat off Portland and all the kids among the tourists gathered around one of the deckhands who took the catch they weren't keeping, pointed out the anatomy of lobsters, and let each kid give the lobsters a snack (put a piece of fish in their claw) to send them on their way. Nothing beats a good tour from local fishermen.

[@Straswa]

RIP Dora and Szabolcs and condolences to their loved ones. Great work Brick Immortar, I enjoyed your continuation of discussing DUKW accidents.

[@Gantradies]

can i just say, im genuinely impressed that you've started developing actual contacts in some of the fields/industries you've covered, beyond "just" carrying out careful research. also impressed,and a little relieved, that there ARE new production vehicles replacing the old- feel a little less nervous about seeing "Duck Tours" going out to the water when i was at the gold coast a few years back...

[@Kats4Brekkie]

I couldn't watch it live, and was disappointed that I couldn't go back to view it, so I was very pleased to see it up for viewing. An incredibly well done episode. I guess you narrated it live (during the stream), it really added to it, and I found it very good to watch. If you are thinking about whether or not to do it this way again, I'd whole heartedly say yes please, it was good.

[@nicknicolaus]

This one hit close to home as my family and I took the Philly Duck tour in June of 2015. Had I known about this incident that occurred in 2010, I probably would not have taken my wife and young son on this excursion. All in all, another excellent Brick Immortar production.

[@filanfyretracker]

The Schuylkill river probably was always a safer choice for them but I figure they picked the Delaware not only due to proximity of their tour route but also the water front is pretty impressive and their water path would have given a view of the area's other WW2 item, the USS New Jersey.

[@DC-ct8tv]

Agreed, the Schuylkill towards the bottom is pretty disgusting, no one would want to see that

[@perbilse573]

I came across this having woken up in the middle of the night (prime time for random youtube excursions, of course). At first I thought "Nah, too long" but I got totally sucked in by curiosity about the incident (I was a sailor as a young man), and the excellent production quality. I mean, this is broadcast quality. This could be on Discovery or any other number of channels. And done live, it's outright amazing. Much kudos, absolutely outstanding.

[@Al-Fiallos]

Wow! What an excellent and revealing presentation. Many years ago, I was in charge of an oil and gas production platform in the Gulf of Mexico. After hours an alarm sounded and as I went to investigate the cause of the alarm, I came across my assistant smoking in a classified area next to the natural gas metering station. I had him removed from the platform. Later that week, a crane mechanic told me that my assistant had been smoking on the platform without permission or regard to his or anyone else's safety. Your video reminded me of this, and I could never understand why no one told me of my assistant's behavior. Go figure.

[@jettbridgerab3388]

Can I just say I was stunned at the end of the video when I found out you had live-streamed this entire thing! Like yeah I noticed a few pauses and word stumbles here and there thinking you missed them in editing but knowing now that this was done in one take was wild. I could never do that… Hats off to you, it was great! And thank you as always for all the great information, allowing us to learn and hopefully make a difference in our own or others’ lives.

[@S0RGEx]

As someone who needs multiple tries to get through just a paragraph of narration while keeping a consistent speed and tone and with no slurred words, stutters, etc, the fact that you did this whole thing live is insanely impressive.

[@dougpine]

Tugboat captain here. A comment about your description of a tug pushing in the notch as an ITB (Ingegrated Tug and Barge). What you're describing is an ATB (Articulated Tug and Barge). ITBs have a rigid connection between the tug and the barge. They look like ships. There are very few of them still sailing, while ATBs are everywhere. You've got a nice drone shot of one in this video. This was a horrific accident and is used as a case study at maritime schools. Nice job, thank you.

[@laurat1129]

Although I'm from the Boston area, I've never been on one of these very popular Duck Tours, but it's good to hear that they take safety seriously. Also, the Charles is mostly for small craft (rowing shells, sailboats, yachts at low speeds) due to the shallower depths and low bridges, as far as I know. Now, the roads and traffic around Boston, that's another thing...🙄

[@Teverell]

The Boston Duck Tours was the only one of these that I'd heard about until the recent video about the Stretch Duck Seven tragedy. I'm also glad to hear they take safety really seriously - if I'm ever in the Boston area (I've never even been to the US!) going on one of their Duck Tours is definitely on my list, especially learning about their care for safety.

[@alaeriia01]

Apparently Soldiers Field Road is either a superhighway or a Formula 1 racetrack, judging by how people drive on it. Low bridges exist for the purpose of crashing your box truck into them, and generally turn lanes and speed limits are a suggestion, rather than something to actually follow. At least Boston drivers are polite when they cut you off. New Yorkers manage to be bad drivers and rude too, which is impressive.

[@laurat1129]

@@alaeriia01 Most Boston drivers nowadays just seem oblivious. Those aren't Xmas lights on the car. "Use ya blinkah!"

[@slowb4lls1]

Yea so I wud consider NOT ever riding them 😂

[@jayyu8229]

The charles is also pretty tame most of the time. While storms can make things choppy, we don't get any of the crazy storms like in the midwest or south. On the small part, I've seen large river tour ships on it a lot, so there are some large crafts as well. Funniest thing I've seen on there is the week leading up to the 4th of july, when the fireworks barge comes through and everyone gives it a wide berth for obvious reasons

[@bRiAn55549]

From the Boston area an have been on a duck tours as a kid. Your first video on the Branson ducks had me wondering if the Boston ducks' operation was similar. Good to see there are some operators aren't completely lacking in their commitment to safety. The DUKW's are such cool vehicles and I remember genuinely enjoying the experience.

[@ItsJustLisa]

I grew up in southern Wisconsin and rode the Wisconsin Ducks in Wisconsin Dells. Fortunately they too have nothing to do with the “couldn’t care less” Ride the Ducks franchise. Thankfully RtDs is defunct now and can’t kill anymore customers.

[@vapelord_vixen7828]

It’s insane to me how slow to react the crew of the duck boat were

[@volvo09]

Yeah. It's easy to armchair quarterback, but I'm sure quite a few people were focused on that barge but they trusted the person in control and no one wanted to overrule until it was obvious... People are easy to lull into perceived safety, especially when no one will speak up.

[@JoshuaTootell]

Hindsight is 20/20. At the time the operator thought he had a potential fire, not an over heated engine. He had already cut the emergency fuel supply. It is very possible that it would be a manual reset. And very possible the engine wouldn't start if attempted. Even so, it isn't immediately easy to pull anchor and move. If, that's a big IF, everything went perfect and the lookout noticed the barge coming with enough time to react, AND the fuel valve was reset, AND the engine restarted, AND they were capable of pulling or dragging the anchor, then MAYBE they could have moved out of the way in time. The fact that it was not mentioned in this hour long video as a contributing factor (the crews failure to attempt evasive maneuvers (I did not read the investigation) leads me to believe that was realistic @@1978garfield

[@rabies7290]

Fight, Flight, or Freeze. Initially it seems they believed that the tug was maneuvering to avoid the collision, had to overcome the disbelief that the situation was actually happening, and then react. You never know which survival instinct is going to kick in.

[@thedeviouspanda]

I mean their boat was dead in the water, the barge crew was equally slow to react.

[@andeggbreaks]

​@@JoshuaTootell They're not talking about fixing the boat and moving, they're talking about how the captain was texting and didn't notice how close the boat had gotten, and how there's no record of him making any distress calls until the last moment (though he claims he did)

[@ndlsjk]

Love the live stream style, I am in awe of your ability to speak so clearly for an hour and barely have even one or 2 minor stutters throughout. Kudos!

[@ClearTrackSpeed]

Here in the railroad industry after Chatsworth(which we are taught in training) the federal railroad administration mandated that all train crews shut down their personal electronic devices before even starting their shift, and during the briefing prior to even boarding the train all crews check each other to make sure that their devices are off and stowed. If you ask me other industries need to take measures like that in the railroad industry. Another great video. Thank you for sharing.

[@Pandidolod]

Agreed, and thank you for speaking on distracted vehicular operation. Completely unacceptable. I'm not even sure our culture has reached the point of abhorring intoxicated driving, especially with marijuana. As a toker myself, I'm constantly shocked at how many stoner bros think driving high is somehow different from driving drunk. People are afraid of planes when they should be afraid of the highway.

[@Boomakcake]

Thank you so much for uploading the live stream, I really was gutted to miss it and not be their to show my support for this channel and your work Sam. I hope to make the next one.

[@EddyOfTheMaelstrom]

"We're all caught in the churn" dang man...as someone who was fired last week for constantly bringing up safety violations (obviously they didn't write that on the paper) after 3 years of dedicated service to a company, that hits fucking hard. I commented on another one of your videos about my situation. Well, the churn came and I got called out. I tried my best. Luckily, I left an impression on a few young people there, and they had made great strides towards being safety-concious in an otherwise negligent environment. I just don't want to read about someone dying there someday when I know if I had been there and fought harder, it wouldn't have happened.

[@Geekylori]

Just in case anyone else wanted to know, the tug’s mate’s kid is fine. The complication was resolved quickly and he was actually calling his mother to tell her that the kid was fine when the accident happened.

[@thedeviouspanda]

The kid's mom should have been making all those calls, not him. She's not at work.

[@MarniTurboHoarder]

I love your content and the way you present it! You don’t yap on with stuff that’s irrelevant or repeat something a million times over, just wanted to say thank you for your efforts! Always thoroughly enjoyed!

[@sixstringedthing]

What a terrifying ordeal, being literally run over by a giant ship. When watching the DUKW 7 video my first thought was "amazing that these things which look like absolute deathtraps became so popular", and this was only reinforced when learning more about the history of modifications to these "vessels" which weren't all that seaworthy or easy to operate to begin with. It's great to hear that Boston Duck Tours has developed a better version designed specifically for amphibious tourism with suitable attention paid to what might happen if things go wrong. Excellent work as usual Sam, thanks. 👍

[@danielescobar7618]

I rode a Boston duck. 2019? We had a licensed merchant marine captain. She was wonderful. Would trust her again and again, explained all the considerations and operations in an interesting and entertaining way. Felt very safe with her. She obviously loved and cared for her job and taken care of

[@jsorxxx42]

I watched this after it was live, and it was great, I can't wait to catch a live one. Thanks for all you do

[@Straswa]

Agreed!

[@JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

When cellular phone companies switch to touch screens or started the move, I predicted the increase in traffic accidents. In the older cell phones where you had a keypad you could actually do it blind but with the touchscreen you actually have to look at the screen. That is what began the craze with touchscreens and infotainment on your cell phone

[@Ryan_the_dawg]

Wow it's scary in a way how well photographed this incident was, was there that many cameras/satellites watching everywhere at once at that time let alone now to capture this many pictures of a random accident? My heart goes out to all the victims.

[@hoghogwild]

Yes, clear as day that the deckhand wasn't at his watchpost on the upper level lookout..

[@lastEvergreen]

You… you know that’s just an animation over satellite photos of the city right? Are you joking?

[@daft_mervy]

A lot of the visuals in this video are digitally generated, not real photos and videos. However, there are also several real photos there. Just check when he credits actual photos to make things more clear.

[@motojunkie8348]

This channel is so underrated. The amount of research you do is amazing.

[@nellapuddin2434]

I saw you'd gone live 5 minutes before I had to leave for work, and honestly it was so nice just to tune in for a few minutes and see everyone in the chat and hear you chiming in. I didn't get to hear any of the proper story until today, but I wish I had! I love a good livestream, even if I have to watch after the fact - thank you for this lil bit of community connection!

[@ChrisNoonetheFirst]

Really appreciated your closing remarks on distracted operations. Definitely something industry and regulators need to start taking much more seriously

[@MarkJoseph81]

Just found your channel earlier this last year, and more impressed by this video than previous great videos. You gave a superb presentation of this tragedy, with plenty of facts and information, as well as respect for the deceased. Bravo!

[@cheesybread1995]

All the imperfections due to it being streamed live, make it so much more relatable. Great work! Love your content.

[@Lon3wolf18]

Its crazy you can livestream your content and still have the same professional tone, and dedication to production value. Keep up the good work!

[@elaineinmaine7971]

I Love these Disaster Analysis Channel yours and Plainly Difficult & Dark History I wait with bated breath until you guys release videos I really enjoy watching please keep up the due diligence and good work.

[@frankzeppelin]

Excellent presentation. Just discovered your channel in late 2022. I missed the live stream, but watching this I thought this must be premiering a recorded video. It was only after I noticed you got tripped up at a few spots that I realized you actually were reading this live. Workshops, trainings, and public presentations are a major part of my job, and after ten years I felt pretty good about my presentation confidence and fluency. This is next level. Hats off.

[@Hide.the.Salami]

I am very very glad to see your videos every time they show up. You are, to my eyes, as much a visible part of safety understanding and investigation, as the entire US Chemical Safety Board. You and what you do are exceptional.

[@southwestxnorthwest]

More videos please. This channel tends to stand out because all of the content is original instead of recycling the same true crime or disaster stories out there (Chris Watts murders and the Byford Dolphin accident). Also the narration is smooth and matches the stories being told. I've never done Patreon for any other content creators but I will if we can get a weekly video.

[@CaptainJazz262]

Very interesting to hear all this detailed information about this incident as a licensed mariner. Thanks for posting!

[@matthewsmith5104]

It's interesting the circles the internet takes you in. I watched your video on the SS El Faro and was fascinated by the incident. I then watched the Well There's Your Problem podcast episode on the El Faro and they made a offhanded reference to a barge running over a duckboat in Philadelphia, so I Googled that, and then you make a video on that event and it comes full circle. Really love your content, especially on lesser known stuff like this.

[@progoodman252]

This is a truly exceptional KZbin channel. Thank you for the time and effort that goes into these long form videos and for your dedication to public safety.

[@EM.1]

I have seen the video of the Duck boat being crushed by the barge it’s extremely disturbing-distressing. Your calm voice and narration helps me to understand what I had seen in the video lowering the stress level of remembering that video.

[@robinchristmas6448]

I live in the Philadelphia area and remember this happening. I never knew all the details until watching this video. Thank you for sharing.

[@m.anthonyc.8761]

I Just thought you should know..... Some people forget about or don't understand how much time and effort it goes into making a hour long documentary, and I give credit where it's due....... Your video production quality is turning out to be absolutely fabulous. I just wanted to take a moment to say Thank you for the hard work into the research, time, effort, and editing you put into your videos. Its amazing that this was actually streamed and that makes it alot more amazing. It really shows and speaks for itself especially after realizing this video is about an hour long and I didn't get bored or lose intrest. I found this channel when there was about 10k subs, I subbed shortly afterwards. You deserve more and your on track to blow up real soon. Keep up the good work.

[@shibuigardenbungalows0420]

as a charter and tour sailboat capt I really enjoy your channel...so many things I can relate to from tour owners more concerned about money to safety and maintenance issues

[@steakthedoggaming5333]

So, fun fact, My family and I were actually in Philadelphia on vacation on the day of this incident, I don't recall ever seeing the DUKW, though my father does. And it was on the news the next day. RIP those who died there.

[@TheMadMurf]

Very impressive that this was live-streamed. Love the content, you do an amazing job with the research, presentation, and quality.

[@Magikalic]

I love your videos, the quality is insane! Would you ever consider doing one on Grenfell Tower? I've recently read Show Me The Bodies by Peter Apps on how deregulation, greed and government apathy caused the disaster.

[@Teverell]

I watched an interview recently with Ed Daffarn who wrote a blog trying to raise awareness of the neglect and culture of ignoring the issues within the council and TMO that was no small contribution to what happened - and there's a good BBC documentary called Fires That Foretold Grenfell. I'd be very interested in seeing Brick Immortar do a video on it, he's got a really good way of pulling together disparate sources and giving a concise and understandable breakdown of whatever he's discussing.

[@janechanning984]

Alucobond was pushed through the buddy handshake system in the council and the building trade. The cause was greed and power. Nothing changes. Alucobond yesterday, something else tomorrow.

[@cooperised]

"Deregulation, greed and government apathy" could be the title of a book about the UK these days 😕

[@stevenmacdonald9619]

Unfortunately the reasons given for the Grenfell tragedy, all relate to recent issues, and sought as always, to be slander against the current Conservative government. They are valid, I'm sure, but they stop short of telling the entire story. That a Labour government built these high-rise rabbit warrens in the first place has been a far greater tragedy for many more since the 1960's. Only now are John B. Calhoun's (Poolesville, Maryland, National Institute for Mental Health) Mouse Utopia experiments being looked at with serious eyes. He discovered within his ominous findings, before these concrete monstrosities even existed, that human life would suffer under those exact conditions in any case. People died at Grenfell, and in other incidents. I would say, in my own opinion, any person that has been forced to live in high-rise flats, suffers every single day. Every remaining high-rise block building across the UK should be razed to the ground.

[@jemmabean]

@stevenmacdonald9619 super weird take

[@wade7623]

I've been waiting for another one of your docs and it's always worth it man, your so thorough and I learn so much from every video and even taking the time clearing up a mistake from the last video? that's a content creator who cares about his viewers and his craft, much appreciated keep up the great work my man, now I can't wait for the next haha

[@trj1442]

So good to see another episode from this awesome channel. A couple of suggestions to cover; Gulf Livestock 1 sinking in 2020; and The Melbourne - Voyager collision in 1964. Thanks for you awesome content.

[@paulgent9203]

I’m Australian the Melbourne would be a good one/ Melbourne also hit a US warship and sunk her

[@ItsJustLisa]

Another excellent video! I honestly don’t know how Ride the Ducks was allowed to operate in so many places with their abhorrent operational standards and safety records. It’s like they didn’t care if people were put in danger, hurt or killed as long as they made money. Between this incident and the one in Branson, where weather should have trumped money, they’d always shown that nothing was more important than profit. The corporate heads should have been in prison.

[@TheJustina102085]

This channel deserves so many more viewers. These videos are so well researched and then magnificently presented to the viewer! Fascinating topics as well! 👍🏻

[@jasonjavelin]

I will definitely be tuning in to the next live broadcast if possible. This is insane quality and I can’t wait to see more. You do a great job covering this type of accident and bring awareness to very interesting stuff

[@grantsy]

I appreciated the ending message from the NTSB. I should have known better but have taken calls while driving before. My life matters more than a call. More importantly, the lives of everyone who didn’t agree to my stupid choice matter more than my phone call. Thank you.

[@jessiec1194]

They have tug and tows on the NorCal coast, the tug can be so far ahead of the towed barge that the unwary have tried to pass between them and struck the towline. Piloting on any waters can be full of dangerous surprises. I really like your topics and the work you put into them, I’ll wait happily for your uploads

[@queengeekoffreaks]

Excellent video. I found your channel via the Stretch Duck 7 video. It’s been a few years but I worked for a Duck Tour company who was independently owned and operate with zero affiliation to Ride the Ducks. I appreciate the consideration to call out that there are other operators other than Ride the Ducks and to double down on their negligence. It was their negligence that put a huge stain on other companies.

[@Chellz801]

Cool seeing the drone shots of the Battleship New Jersey, thanks for the video! Hopefully I catch the next stream!

[@TheHekateris]

Absolutely fantastic! Your videos are always great, but these long form ones are truly something special. Thank you!!

[@MrJones-uq5cg]

I appreciate the work you put into bringing these incidents to us. This was the best one yet, I think.

[@brieframe6746]

I have much respect for how thorough and detailed your videos are. Thank you!

[@corsairsofnarshaddaa]

Thank you so much for what you do BI. Your depth of research, care for the subject, and editing skill combines to create the most interesting documentaries I've seen on KZbin. Please continue - you're one of the only channels I have notifications enabled for. I look forward to your content that much!

[@nena4215]

You’re absolutely 100% right, it’s to the point where phones need to be locked up before operating a motorized vehicle, plane or vessel, sad.

[@tadeusticeghostal]

Man, this is a great channel. Love these long-form videos. This is such a nightmare. As a disabled man with a heavy ass full leg brace going out on a boat and falling in the water is one of my worst fears. I'm a great swimmer (without it on) but that thing would pull me down so quick. Freaks me out thinking about it lol

[@ReasonableSwampMonster]

Man... that barge first mate easily had the worst day of his life right there, I can only imagine how awful he must have felt.

[@Argumemnon]

Not as bad as the famlies of the two people he killed, I would guess.

[@OvercomeEverythingJosh]

I am obsessed with your channel. Literally could watch these all day. Thanks for the content!

[@Marcai]

Wow I didn't know until the end that this was a livestream piece? I was honestly thinking that you'd missed a few stutters when editing this time, but to say this was all done live it's insane how smooth that went for a whole hour! Props man, you make incredible and well-researched work with important and difficult subject matters, and each one is as fascinating as the last.

[@FloccinaucinihilipilificationD]

The Freedom Ferry Captain and the Coast Guard Operator were on point! The Captain gave all critical information and wouldn't waste time on details. The Operator understood that, used his initiative and reported the known full souls on board count a duck can carry and they both did that in SECONDS! Very professional and very well done!

[@CarolineBearoline]

Always excited to see a Brick Immortar video ❤️

[@UncoordinatedPixie]

Well done video as always. I visited Hot Springs years ago and the friends I was with wanted to do a Duck ride there and I said no. If I don’t see the bottom of the water I don’t get in it.

[@andersonomo597]

You've done it again by reaching an impressive new height with your presentations - CONGRATULATIONS!! Bloody technology - such a blessing and such a curse and you're right that we have to take a rock hard approach to it's use. I was a supervisor in a warehouse and the number of times I pulled up forklift drivers for using their mobile while on the machine was ridiculous - even if they were stationary, it's still a dangerous distraction, and don't get me started on how many people I see walking around on their phones, totally oblivious to the world around them. Watched with horror yesterday as a dad on the phone, holding his small child's hand, blithely walked through the small gap between my car and the one in front - if I had been distracted, or my foot had slipped, or I'd been rear ended - they could have suffered greatly - he was totally focused on his conversation and nothing else! It only takes a second for lives to be shattered!

[@100SteveB]

Modern cars are a great example when it comes to driver distraction. A touch screen to access certain functions of the car. To operate a touch screen you need to be looking at it, and if your doing that, your not looking at the road. And yet our governments and regulators do nothing to stop these distractions being built into cars. Touch screens on cars should automatically disable once the car starts to move.

[@FranNyan]

Disabling touch screens won't solve the issue. It's more that the functions need to be usable via voice command so that looking over doesn't have to happen. Locking the screen just means locking off the functions, even if one has a passenger to access them. Also there are a lot of things in even non-smart cars that require you to look away from the road. I cannot tell you how many times I've fumbled the knob for the defoggers on my car because there's an identical feeling one just above it for something else entirely, and if I don't remember what temperature the AC is set to, I have to look over to see if it's actually gonna defog or make things work.

[@laurat1129]

Bit of a misnomer when a "touchscreen" doesn't rely on touch (or feeling) at all as buttons and knobs do. A study from the U of Utah came out five years ago proving that by their very nature, these also contribute to distracted driving.

[@JoshuaTootell]

I was really grateful to find that my new vehicle can be operated almost entirely by feel. All the fancy stuff is there, but switches and knobs are included to control operation without touching a screen.

[@rumblehat4357]

How about all those giant video screen billboards along the highways that change images every 30 seconds? If those aren't specifically designed to purposely distract drivers ("look at me!!") I don't know what is. Money talks. That's how we get all these video screen distractions. Bribe the right official.

[@Bister_Mungle]

@@nthgth And I remember driving a 2017 honda civic just yesterday where I could change the volume and HVAC without distraction. Volume control is right on the steering wheel, HVAC is a simple push to turn on or off switch and turning of the knob in either direction to adjust temp, no need to look. Just cause you think you've been around, doesn't mean you've been around, bud.

[@DaemonJerky]

What a message. Incredible stream, and awesome work doing this live. It's certainly time to make a change. The future lives saved would be innumerable.

[@ThatRandomEagle]

Started watching this series a couple of weeks ago and I’m absolutely hooked! Fr some of the most addicting content out there lmao

[@joannawarrens5117]

I just told my husband that was I was excited for another Duck Disaster video. He said “You are never riding a duckboat are you?”😂

[@ralphnapierii1184]

I listened to this video without watching the images, as though it was a podcast. I was going to criticize you for not editing out hickups in the audio, but finding out it was Livestreamed, you did a very impressive job. Subbed and will donate to Patreon when I can

[@Ryan_the_dawg]

I really like these videos man they are brilliantly presented and I must say that the music is sooo dark and foreboding and just sets the mood for these horrible incidents so very well, I feel horrible for all the victims and family involved in all the tragedies we have learned about here.

[@liamowen6944]

I got real exited when I saw you released another video and as per the usual this one did not disappoint. I love your stuff my friend.

[@beast667]

You did this live? Amazing! The production quality of your videos is always outstanding but to do it live at this level as well. Wow!

[@photonwerewolf9740]

Glad I found your channel. Some really fascinating coverage on historical and tragic lessons. I hope your videos become more and more known and help bring awareness to such risks.

[@helmaschine1885]

Thank you for having subtitles btw. Enables me to share your videos with my dad ❤️