St. Joseph man drowns while trying to rescue a child in Smithville Lake
A St. Joseph man drowned in Smithville Lake Saturday while trying to rescue a child, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
MSHP investigators responded to Crows Creek Cove at the Clay County lake around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, according to an incident report filed by Troop A staff Monday.
The body of David G. Moore, 66, was recovered from the lake.
Moore had been in a 230-foot pontoon boat with several people on board, including multiple children, shortly before his death. While attempting to load the children back onto the boat, one started drifting away, according to the incident report.
Moore dove in after the child and never resurfaced.
Information on whether the child survived was not released.
Moore’s body was transported to Forensic Medical, an autopsy and investigation service based in Kansas City, Kansas. He was not wearing a life jacket at the time of his death, according to the report.
In the last six weeks, 10 people, including Moore, have drowned in Missouri, according to data collected by the MSHP.
Across Missouri, 30 people drowned in 2022 — the most recent full year of available data — according to the MSHP. Of the drownings, 83% took place in lakes and other bodies of water, with more than half happening in the summer.
This is a developing story. Check back for more information.
