A man drowned in a Missouri river during his attempt to help a distressed boater, authorities say.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the 54-year-old victim, of Neosho, jumped into the Elk River above the Noel dam July 20 to help a boater caught in the dam’s hydraulics.
But he was pulled into the strong current and carried through the dam, troopers said.
He resurfaced downstream and was given CPR by a bystander, highway patrol said.
Authorities said the victim was pronounced dead at a hospital a little more than an hour later. His identity has not been publicly disclosed.
Low head dams are often called “drowning machines,†according to the National Weather Service, because their turbulent currents can make it difficult to escape.
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Doug Warner, a reporter for KNWA, the Fox affiliate in Fayetteville, Arkansas, said the boater was rescued by firefighters.
The Noel Dam on Elk River was built in the 1920s for the purpose of generating power but has not been operational for more than 50 years, , the NBC affiliate serving Joplin.Ìý
It’s been the site of multiple drownings in recent years.
The Elk River is in McDonald County, about a 200-mile drive south from Kansas City.
