6-year-old boy jumps onto lily pad in Lake of the Ozarks and drowns, officials say

A 6-year-old boy jumped onto a lily pad before he drowned in the Lake of Ozarks, authorities said.

Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers, alongside the Camden County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department, responded to the drowning at 6:10 p.m. Tuesday, July 4.

They learned the boy, of Camdenton, had jumped onto the lily pad without a life jacket before disappearing for an unspecified amount of time, according to the incident report.

The child was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:44 p.m., the report says.

Authorities have not publicly released his name.

He was one of four people to drown in Missouri over the holiday weekend, records show. A 41-year-old man from St. Louis drowned at Big River on July 2, a 56-year-old man from Kansas City drowned at the Lake of Ozarks on July 2 and a 22-year-old man from St. Joseph died at Smithville Lake on July 4.

At least 4,000 people die from drowning every year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and drowning is a leading cause of death for children.

Some factors can make drowning more likely, including not knowing how to swim, a lack of close supervision, not wearing a life jacket and drinking alcohol while recreating near or in water.

The National Drowning Prevention Alliance said there are tips to help keep you safe in the water, including checking local weather conditions, never swimming alone and choosing the right equipment.

“Don’t hesitate to get out of the water if something doesn’t feel right,” the group said on its website. “Whether it’s that the current is getting rough, rain has started to fall, or your body is just not responding like you would like it to due to fatigue or muscle cramps, then just leave and return to the water another day. It’s always a good thing to trust your instincts.”

This story was originally published July 5, 2023 at 2:06 PM with the headline "6-year-old boy jumps onto lily pad in Lake of the Ozarks and drowns, officials say."