'I Told Him To Breathe!' Trooper Recounts Rescue Of Race Boat Driver Who Crashed At Shootout

When a race boat careened out of control and crashed at the Shootout finish line, Missouri State Highway Patrol Corporal David Echternacht was in the right place, at the right time, with the right training. 

Add to that a fast water patrol vessel with twin 250 HP Mercury Verado engines, and Echternacht was at the site of a terrible racing accident, rescuing the victim, a mere 36 seconds after the crash.  

It all happened just before noon on Saturday, Aug. 27. Jeff McCann of Morehead, NC was running a 23 ft. Donzi named Jack’s Waterfront in the 2016 Lake of the Ozarks Shootout Powerboat races. With thousands of race fans watching, the boat began to uncontrollably rock, or “chine walk,” from side-to-side, before spinning out of control.

Within seconds the boat landed with the bow pointing up and sank to the bottom of the Lake of the Ozarks. McCann was ejected from his boat, and landed face-down in the water. 

Corporal Echternacht was in the closest emergency patrol boat to the crash. Putting the throttle down hard he raced to the scene of the accident arriving in 36 seconds. Not hesitating to remove his gun or his cell phone, Echternacht quickly jumped into the water before the boat had even stopped, while another patrol boat occupant took the helm.

“He (McCann) had a life vest on but was lying face down in the water,” Echternacht recounted. He quickly swam to McCann’s side and turned him over, to discover McCann was not responding or moving. McCann’s full-face helmet was showing damage from the accident. 

“I reached under his helmet and opened his mouth to get the water out,” Echternacht remembered. “I told him to breathe! It seemed like a long time, but then he finally started to breathe.” 

A Mid County Fire Protection fire rescue team arrived, and a rescue diver was dropped into the water. A stokes basket was then lowered and Echternacht assisted the diver with loading McCann into the basket, and they hoisted him into the rescue boat. 

A nurse and doctor that were riding in Echternacht’s patrol boat got into the emergency fire boat and quickly worked to stabilize McCann. He was then transported to a waiting Lake West Ambulance, staged under the Hurricane Deck Bridge. 

At this point, it was reported that McCann was conscience and communicating. The ambulance transported him to Lake Regional Hospital and the decision was made to fly him by STAFF For Life helicopter to the University of Missouri Hospital in Columbia.

“I received an email from a friend of McCann who said he was being released on Sunday,” Echternacht said.

When asked about the daring rescue, Echternacht humbly replied, “It wasn’t me. It was a joint effort between the water patrol, the fire rescue team, medical personnel, the ambulance paramedics and the staff on the helicopter.”

Despite some erroneous reports, Echternacht was wearing an inflatable life jacket when he jumped in to save McCann. “I did not inflate the jacket,” he explained, “because it would have been another bear in the water.”

Echternacht has been with the Patrol for 9.5 years, and not only is he highly trained in water rescue, he is the Water Safety Instructor at the Highway Patrol Academy. He is also a MSHP Emergency Vehicle Operation Course Instructor and he assists with sobriety checkpoints in the Lake area, where he resides.

“I help at the Shootout because it is a great way for me to keep up-to-date and gain hands-on experience for what I teach,” he said. “Even though I am not usually on the front lines, it is a pleasure to do what I do here and at the academy.” 

Shootout Safety Boat Volunteer Bill Rockley, added, “I am sure McCann is thankful this brave, highly skilled and quick thinking corporal was on the front line on Saturday.” 

Race spectators agreed: they cheered Echternacht as he passed by on Sunday, at the close of the race.