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OZARKS SHIPWRECK: Boat That Crashed On Hidden Rocks Is Still Stuck On The Lake's Shoreline

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Boat Stuck On Lake Of The Ozarks Shoreline -- May 1, 2024

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — It's still there.

A large boat that ran aground on a shallow, underwater outcropping of rocks in May of 2023 is still sitting against the shoreline, nearly a year later.

The boat, an older-model Formula, was damaged when it ran up on the rocks last year.

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According to Travis Coleman with Lake Tow, LLC, the owner initially attempted to dislodge the boat himself; however the boat capsized as a result.

The owner then reportedly abandoned the boat, and the tow boat operators at Lake Tow, LLC volunteered to drag the boat to the nearby shore and secure it there until a plan could be made for removal.

Eleven-and-a-half months later, it's not clear that anyone has plans to remove it any time soon.

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Coleman says he and multiple other companies that would be required to remove the boat have submitted bids to Ameren — the utility company that operates Bagnell Dam and regulates the Lake of the Ozarks' shoreline. However, he said Ameren has not accepted any bid to remove the boat.

When asked about the boat, a spokesperson from Ameren Communications said there was litigation in court about the issue but could not point Lake Expo to any specifics about the case or what party/parties were involved.

According to Coleman, the question of who's ultimately going to pay for removing the boat has turned into a game of hot potato.

• Ameren — regulates the Lake's shoreline and conducts an annual volunteer-based shoreline cleanup (which just finished on April 30).

• Missouri State Highway Patrol — responsible for law-enforcement on Lake of the Ozarks.

• Missouri Department of Natural Resources — responsible for enforcing clean-water regulations on Missouri waterways.

According to MSHP Captain Dusty Hoffman, "The boat owner is ultimately responsible for any costs associated with the removal, tow and storage. RSMo 577.080 addresses this regarding abandonment of a vessel." It's unknown whether Ameren's litigation is currently against the boat's owner or if any costs of removal could be recouped.

For now, the boat appears to be secured just beneath the Lodge of Four Seasons' property line, with its hull resting on the Lake floor. At the Lake, most property below 662 feet of elevation above sea level is beyond what is known as the "project boundary" — a line beneath which Ameren either owns or tightly regulates property.

At the cost of thousands of dollars, it's unclear who will move the boat or how long it will sit there. Until it's removed, the boat stands as a large warning that not too far off the shoreline, a hidden underwater hazard awaits.

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