Boater charged after man thrown into Lake of the Ozarks drowns, Missouri officials say

Months after a 21-year-old man drowned in the Lake of the Ozarks, charges have been filed against one of the boaters he was with.

Dylan T. McEwen was charged with boating while intoxicated, leading to the death of another, in the Camden County Circuit Court on Tuesday, Nov. 9, according to court records. The charges were filed against the 24-year-old, of Swansea, Illinois, in connection with an Aug. 8 death.

At the time, Missouri State Highway Patrol reported Sean P. Jouglard, of Waterloo, drowned after he voluntarily exited the boat to go swimming.

But an investigation into the incident revealed another story, according to local media reports.

Law enforcement officials investigating the case said the other passengers’ stories did not match security footage or what other eyewitnesses saw, according to a probable cause statement obtained by KMOV. McClatchy News has requested this document.

A security camera at a nearby home captured Jouglard as he was thrown into the air four times as the boat struck a large wake, KMOV reported. He landed in the boat the first three times, but the fourth time was fatal.

He was thrown from the boat and landed in the lake where he was never seen again on video, KHQA reported, and his body was found the next day in 80-feet deep water.

A trooper who responded to the incident said he smelled alcohol coming from McEwen, but the boater would not complete a breathalyzer test, according to KY3. He was taken into custody, where troopers later completed a blood test.

McEwen’s blood alcohol level was .187 about three hours after the drowning, according to the Missouri TV station. The state’s legal limit is .08.

He is scheduled to appear in Camden County Circuit Court at 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 20.

This story was originally published November 11, 2021 at 1:04 PM with the headline "Boater charged after man thrown into Lake of the Ozarks drowns, Missouri officials say."