Missing boater who hit barge on Missouri River in KC found; Cause of crash determined
A missing Missouri man was found nearly a week after he disappeared when his sailboat collided with a moored barge on the Missouri River in the Kansas City area, the Missouri Highway Patrol reported online.
Troopers found the remains of 47-year-old Brian E. Hale of Carrollton, Missouri, about 2 p.m. last Thursday downstream from the crash near the Jackson County village of River Bend, which is where Missouri 291 crosses the Missouri River, according to an online crash report.
The crash occurred about 1:30 p.m. May 20 as Hale was piloting a sailboat on the Missouri River, according to the highway patrol.
Authorities later determined the boat had a broken rudder and it floated in front of a stationary barge on the Missouri River near Interstate 435, according to the highway patrol. Hale was not able to change course and struck the barge, which submerged the sailboat. The boat reemerged on the back end of the barge.
It’s believed Hale fell overboard during the collision. The highway patrol and the Kansas City Fire Department searched the river, but were not initially able to find him.
Troopers found Hale’s body six days later at near the 350 mile mark of the Missouri River.
This story was originally published May 31, 2023 at 10:27 AM.
