Company wants some Missouri boat death lawsuits dropped

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The company that owns the Ride the Ducks operation in Branson asked a judge Monday to dismiss some of the lawsuits filed after one of its boats sank in a Missouri lake in July, killing 17 people.

Ripley Entertainment said in its motions that the boat's sinking on Table Rock Lake was "an unforeseeable and unintentional occurrence" and that the company's amphibious vehicle tours complied with U.S. Coast Guard regulations, The Kansas City Star reported .

The boat went down on July 19 when a strong thunderstorm blew in shortly after it headed out on the lake near Branson with 31 people on board.