A Man, A Woman, And A Baby Tried To Cross The Busy Lake In A Jon Boat. It Didn't End Well

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — In what authorities are calling an ill-advised journey that could have ended in tragedy, three people landed in the water after attempting to navigate one of the busiest areas of Lake of the Ozarks, at one of the busiest times of year, in a 12-foot jon boat.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, it happened on Saturday, July 1 at about 6:50 p.m. around the 13 Mile Marker, at the convergence of the Wideford, Middle, and Forked Hollow coves. The Patrol says a 33-year-old male, his similarly-aged girlfriend, and an 11-month-old female infant were boating in the area in a 12-foot aluminum Lowe fishing boat.

None of the three were wearing a life jacket, authorities say.

The boat made its way into the busy part of the Lake, and was soon overcome by waves.

"The waves were large in this location, approximately 20 to 24 inches in height in an extremely busy area," wrote a MSHP trooper who responded to the incident. "This size of boat was a very poor choice to take in this location, especially on a busy holiday period."

When the boat capsized, all three occupants ended up in the water. A good samaritan boater spotted them and stopped to help, bringing the woman and baby aboard. When the Highway Patrol trooper arrived, the man was still clinging to the mostly submerged boat, with a life jacket floating about 50 feet away, according to the Patrol report.

The trooper wrote, "A tow rope was attached to the boat, and the male was removed from the water into my patrol boat. The boat was towed to an old ramp area at the back of the cove."