Man Rescued After Boat Motor Failure Leads to Water Search on Gravois Arm

Some tense moments in the Gravois Fire District early Tuesday afternoon after receiving a call that an elderly gentleman without his cellphone didn’t return home as expected from an afternoon of fishing.

Chief Dustin Hancock says a full complement of first responders including the highway patrol, a command unit from the Sunrise Beach Fire District and fire boats from the Lake Ozark and Rocky Mount districts hit the water and shoreline near the 8-mile marker to search for the man whose boat experienced mechanical failure and started drifting in the wind.

The man was located a couple hours later and checked out by Mid-MO Ambulance before being given a lift by the Lake Ozark fire boat back to his place on the other side of the lake.

Hancock also says the incident, which could’ve had a very different ending, serves as a reminder of how important it is this time of year to make sure someone knows where you are headed and for how long if you are hitting the water.