Emilee Kuschel, Jacob Blount, KOLR
TANEY COUNTY, Mo. – Missouri State Water Patrol Troop D reported 16 deaths caused by drownings in their region of 18 counties for 2021.
As KOLR-10 reports, last year, the water patrol only encountered seven. Western Taney County Fire Protection District Chief Chris Berndt and his team have assisted local water patrol in the tri-lakes area.
“We have experienced a big variety of drownings this year,” said Chief Berndt. “I mean from people just driving their car into the lake because they missed a turn-off in the middle of the night just drive into the lake to people like we had just the other day. They were swimming in the lake, in a pretty deep part of the lake, and had a medical emergency, and somebody else jumped in to help them. The person who jumped in couldn’t swim and ended up drowning.”
