By Kent Martin

ABC News

ST. LOUIS, MO. (ABC) — There will be no duck boats available in Branson, Missouri, this summer.

The company that operates the tourist boats, Ripley Entertainment, says it will open a replacement attraction in Branson on Memorial Day featuring laser tag and an outdoor maze. A spokeswoman for Ripley Entertainment says they have yet to decide whether the duck boats will ever float again.

In one of the deadliest accidents of its kind in nearly 20 years, 17 people drowned during severe weather last July at nearby Table Rock Lake. The company still faces several lawsuits over charges that it launched the boats despite warnings of severe weather.