Lake of the Ozarks has already claimed its first two victims of this year's boating season: a Columbia man who tried to save a fellow passenger and an Iowa man who drowned while being processed for boating while intoxicated.
After being arrested for boating while intoxicated on Saturday, a 20-year-old man from Clive, Iowa, fell or jumped into Lake of the Ozarks. The missing man is presumed dead.
The Missouri Highway Patrol reported that members of the Water Patrol Division were transporting Brandon E. Ellingson for boating while intoxicated at the Gravois Arm of the lake at about 5:23 p.m. Saturday. A patrol report said he stood up in the moving vessel, stepped to the edge starboard side and fell or jumped overboard.
He was listed as missing in 80 feet of water.
The report listed Anthony C. Piercy, 42, Jefferson City as the driver of the boat. It did not specify why Ellingson was arrested or whether he was also driving the boat.
A day earlier, on Friday, a Columbia man apparently drowned after trying to rescue a fellow passenger who fell into Lake of the Ozarks.
The patrol said a boat was being driven in the McCoy Branch Cove by Rustin R. Reys, 30, Kansas City, at about 10:55 p.m. when a passenger fell overboard. Three other passengers, including Adam K. Pedego, 25, Columbia, jumped in to rescue him.
A passenger was able to rescue the passenger who fell overboard, but Pedego did not resurface.