At least 17 people drowned or died in boating accidents in Missouri in June, more than during any previous June in the last decade.
A 51-year-old woman from Gower drowned June 25 when her car was swept into a creek that had flooded a roadway, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Another woman died June 20 when she jumped into Smithville Lake to retrieve a life jacket. A third woman died June 19 after a boat hit an object in the Missouri River and threw her into the water.
A man from Los Angeles was killed June 17 when his canoe capsized on the Current River, and four people drowned June 15 in various rivers around the state, either swimming or after a boating accident. The rest drowned while swimming or were thrown into the water after a boat collision, according to the Highway Patrol.
The most recent death was a teenage girl who drowned last week in a river at a state park outside of St. Louis, according to The Associated Press.
Karl Wrice told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that his 16-year-old daughter, Kara Wrice, drowned Friday in the Meramec River in Castlewood State Park. Searchers found the teen’s body hours after she went under the water and never resurfaced.
The girl was at the site with a group of other people when she was reported missing after swimming, St. Louis County Police spokesperson Sgt. Tracy Panus said. Heavy rainfall during the past week has caused area waterways to rise, adding to the need for swimmers to take extra precautions, such as wearing life jackets, Panus said.
“You can be the strongest swimmer, and it doesn’t matter,” she said.
Karl Wrice said his daughter was a straight-A student at Webster Groves High School who played volleyball, worked as a lifeguard and had worked as a model since she was 14, appearing in ads for Famous Footwear.
