Dine-and-dashers pull waitress into lake, MO cops say. Now officers seek 7 suspects
Deputies are seeking a group of seven accused of pulling their waitress into the Lake of the Ozarks after not paying their bill, Missouri authorities say.
Liahna Bertels, the 20-year-old waitress at The Fish and Company in Camdenton, said the June 28 incident left her “crying and bawling in the water,” she told KY3.
It happened during a Friday dinner rush, and Bertels said the group grew impatient with how long their order was taking, KRCG reported. The group eventually exited without paying for the food they ordered and drinks they consumed.
That’s when the server followed them to the adjacent boat dock, where the group was boarding their vessel to leave, according to the Camden County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said the waitress grabbed the rail of the boat in her attempt to prevent it from leaving.
“I still had my hand on the boat and I was just like, ‘Oh my god what the heck,’” Bertels told KRCG. “The guy that was on the dock jumped on the boat, grabbed my arm and pulled me into the water.”
She was in the water for about 10 minutes before pulling herself back to a platform, KY3 reported. By then, the boat had left.
The sheriff’s office said she was uninjured, but they are seeking the identities of the seven people who left in a red-decked pontoon boat.
Deputies released images of the group July 9 and asked anyone with identifying information to contact them at 573-346-2243. The group is not believed to be from Missouri., the sheriff’s office said.
The incident left Bertels afraid to get back in the lake, telling KOLR it traumatized her. It also left a lasting impression on her father, David Bertels, who works at the restaurant with his daughter.
“I want justice for my daughter because their attitude with her life is disgusting,” David Bertels told KOLR. “All seven of them are absolute cowards. And I want to have their day in justice. I want their day in court.”
Sean Dolven, the manager of The Fish & Company, said the restaurant has implemented new guidance for employees to not chase after customers alone, KY3 reported.
The sheriff’s office is investigating the incident as an assault and has encouraged help identifying the patrons to “help keep everyone safe” in its “tight knit community.”
“Every morning when you get up and look at yourself in the mirror, look what you just about destroyed. If you feel good about that, and if you can live comfortably with that, then live your life the way you’re living your life,” David Bertels told KOLR. “If you’re uncomfortable about what you could have done to my daughter, then call the sheriff’s department yourself and identify yourself.”
Camdenton is in the Ozarks and is about a 180-mile drive southwest from St. Louis.
This story was originally published July 9, 2024 at 2:50 PM with the headline "Dine-and-dashers pull waitress into lake, MO cops say. Now officers seek 7 suspects."