Duck Boat Tours Return To Delaware River

PHILADELPHIA - After a nine-month absence, the duck boats have officially resumed tours on the Delaware River.

A Ride The Ducks tour splashed into the Delaware River around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, taking a scaled-down route in the wake of the July 7 collision that killed two Hungarian tourists.

The Norcross, Ga.-based company cut the water portion of the tour from 30 minutes to 10 minutes on a route that goes only about 100 feet from shore.

The tours had been suspended since a city-owned barge struck one of the disabled amphibious vehicles, sinking it and dumping its passengers into the water.

The National Transportation Safety Board says the tugboat pilot was distracted by cellphone calls about a family emergency. Federal prosecutors are reviewing the case.

The company's president insists the duck boats are safe.

"There is no issue with the safety of these modern vessels. There's no issue with the safety of our operation. We were run over by a barge that was driven by the river by mates and a crew who were not paying attention. That's the key fact. We were safe before, and we're safe now," said company President Chris Herschend.

"Boating safety is first and foremost to me, and it has always been that way for us," tour guide Norm Schultz said. "If we had any problem whatsoever, we don't take a boat out. And for us to jeopardize our license by taking a boat out that's not safe, there is no way that any captain would ever do that."

The duck boats are now boarding on Fifth Street, not Sixth Street as they did for years before. Another change riders will notice is they will only be able to get those duck whistles at the end of the tours.

Fox 29's Steve Keeley reported Thursday morning that lines were forming for the tours, although some other tourists knew of the prior accident and were skeptical about getting onboard.

Keeley reported that the company's president anticipated ridership would be down but hopes it does not fall by too much.