At least 17 people nine from the same family have died after an amphibious “duck boat” capsized in stormy weather on a lake in Missouri.

Divers had been searching for four people who were missing after the sightseeing vessel sank in Table Rock Lake, police in the US state said and as Governor Mike Parson had pointed out to CNN, the chances of finding survivors were slim the morning after the incident.

Mr Parson later revealed that nine of the victims, which is said to be include children, were members of the same family.

Pictured, the Coleman family gather around a life saver ring before boarding their doomed duck boat ride in Branson, Missouri, on Thursday.

The boat belonged to local company Ride the Ducks, which run tours of the area on both land and water.

File image pictured, the windows were up when the boat capsized.