Boat Found Half-Sunk In Lake Of The Ozarks, With Holes Drilled In The Bottom

LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — How hard is it to sink a boat? One local owner apparently tried to sink a boat that had seen better days, but the runabout was still stubbornly buoyant.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, at 7:22 a.m. on Oct. 3, Marine Troopers as well as Osage Beach Fire Protection District were called to the 1 Mile Marker of the Glaize Arm, near The Moorings Yacht Club, regarding a medium-sized runabout that was upside-down in the water.

Authorities determined there were no victims in or around the boat, and it was towed to The Moorings, where it was pulled out of the water.

But according to Dave Anderson, of Lake Tow, a closer look at the hull of the boat revealed an apparent intent to sink it. The drain plug had been pulled out, and Anderson said there were holes drilled in the hull. He noted the boat appeared to have been submerged for a while, as there was significant scum buildup on the hull.

The boat was registered to a local marina as a rental, Anderson said, but he speculated it had been purchased by an individual at some point, who had never registered it. “That happens all the time on this Lake,” he mused. “People buy boats and don’t register them.”

Anderson said this is not the first time he has been called to the scene of a boat that appeared to be sunken intentionally. “There’s quite a few boats on the bottom of the Lake,” he said, but he noted many boats have built-in flotation, likely including the one found on Oct. 3. “They hardly ever sink and stay down,” he said.

In decades past, an intentionally sunken boat would not even be a blip on law enforcement’s radar. But now it is a Department of Natural Resources issue, due to the fuel, oil, and other chemicals that are considered environmental hazards.

MSHP Sergeant Scott White said he could not confirm whether there was an active investigation into the sinking, but said in situations like this—where it appeared a boat had been intentionally sunk in the Lake—the Patrol would typically investigate.