Recent drowning deaths at the Lake of the Ozarks and on the White River are highlighting a troubling trend across Missouri. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 30 people have died in drowning and boating-related incidents on Missouri waterways so far this year, compared to 15 during the same period in 2025.
Missouri State Highway Patrol Lieutenant Eric Brown tells Missourinet that most of the fatalities have been related to swimming.
“You look at their statistics right now, we’ve had 30 people killed in boating and drowning incidents, and the vast majority of those are related to swimming and their drownings. 30 so far this year as opposed to 15 in that same time period last year,” Brown said.
Brown says investigators have found several common factors in many of the recent drowning cases.
“Most of these have been people that are swimming and have become exhausted, or they stepped off into deep water, their swimming skills weren’t as high as they thought they were, or maybe they were a non-swimmer, or they were too young to be a good swimmer,” Brown said.
The increase in fatalities has affected people of all ages.
“When you look at the age range over the course of this year and the statistics that we have, we’ve had fatal victims anywhere from the age of 2 up to the age of 86 who’ve lost their lives to drowning. Anyone can fall victim to this,” Brown said.
Brown says wearing a life jacket, swimming with a buddy, and knowing your limits in the water can help prevent tragedies on Missouri lakes and rivers.
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