Missouri State Highway Patrol urges caution after 10 drownings in Mid-Missouri this year
Alison Patton
EDITOR’S NOTE: A quote about impaired boating has been corrected.
LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop F reports that ten people have drowned in Mid-Missouri so far in 2025, with eight of those drownings occurring at the Lake of the Ozarks.
According to online drowning reports, four of the deaths happened in August.
The most recent death was Saturday when a 19-year-old male entered the water at Public Beach Two and didn’t resurface, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol report.
The nearby Grand Maize Marina rents out boats, and general manager John Zeller knows that accidents happen, but he wants the folks who rent out boats from him to stay safe.
“I don’t know that it’s 100% preventable,” Zeller said. “You’d like to be proactive, but in some moments you just have to react.”
He makes sure all boat riders have a life jacket on, as he tries to tell people just how unsafe the lake can be at points.
“Help people understand that, yes, the lake is fun, but it’s also dangerous,” Zeller said.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Kyle Green said life jackets are one of the most important aspects of staying safe while on a boat.
“You may be a great swimmer, but if you’re injured or unconscious or something else is occurring, obviously you’re swimming abilities are going to be greatly diminished,” Green said.
Life-long boater Scott Vadalabene takes his family to the Lake of the Ozarks every year, and when his children were young, they wore life jackets at all times.
“There’s always the rule that you have a life jacket on,” Vadalabene said. “You can’t even go on to the dock without a lifejacket. That’s probably the the biggest safety rule for for children.”
Vadalabene and Green both agree that the captain of the ship should be sober, especially on a big boating weekend like Labor Day.
“A lot of people like to drink more than they should, probably, when they’re boating,” Vadalabene said.
“Making sure that whoever’s operating the vessel isn’t impaired on drugs or alcohol,” Green said.
Ahead of the holiday weekend, local emergency departments sent out a public service announcement on Facebook, asking folks to call 911 immediately noticing a missing person or child.
“If a child disappears near the water it’s a potential drowning situation,” Green said. “Seconds matter, minutes matter.”