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The 17 people who died in the duck boat tragedy last week in southwestern Missouri were not wearing life jackets when found, a source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN Sunday.

The Ride the Ducks Branson amphibious vessel had 31 people on board when it set sail Thursday on Table Rock Lake near the Missouri tourist mecca of Branson as a severe thunderstorm whipped up intense winds and waves. A treacherous squall sank the boat.

There were life jackets on the boat, but passengers weren’t required to wear them, according to Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader. Rader said over the weekend he didn’t know if people were wearing them.

Tia Coleman, one of the 14 survivors, said passengers were told there was a storm coming before the trip. The captain mentioned the life jackets before they went on the lake but said, “you won’t need them so we didn’t grab them,” Coleman said Saturday.

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