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TOURISTS were evacuated from one of Liverpool’s iconic Yellow Duckmarines after it sank in the Albert Dock.

The colourful bus-boat started to slowly sink while full with passengers on Saturday afternoon.

People on board were moved onto a pontoon in accordance with safety procedures. The amphibious vehicle then sank as it was being towed away..

An investigation is now underway to find the cause.

Onlookers told how the Duckmarine, affectionately known as a Wacker Quacker, eventualy became fully submerged during attempts to tow it to the slipway in Salthouse Dock.

Roger O’Doherty, who had been attending the NUT conference at the ECHO Arena, said: “They got a tow boat to try and pull it onto the slipway but they were going quite quickly and it unhinged.

“The water was up to the level of the windows.”

The Yellow Duckmarine is a familiar sight around Liverpool city centre – driving passengers through the heart of city before splashing into the Albert Dock.

Sales manager Paul Furlong praised the crew on board the boat for their professionalism.

He said: “The incident was unfortunate and happened towards the end of the tour.

“We are looking into what happened. Our crew are incredibly experienced and they acted very quickly.

“The crew followed the correct procedure.”

Ducks – which were originally called DUKWs when created in the US to transport men and materials during the Second World War – are no longer in production, and each one still in use is accounted for.

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