6-year-old boy struck and killed by boat propeller in Ozarks lake, Missouri cops say

A 6-year-old boy died in a boating accident on Table Rock Lake in the Ozarks, Missouri authorities say.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the 6-year-old victim had been riding a kneeboard behind a motorboat July 26 in a Taney County portion of the lake.

When the boy fell off the kneeboard, the boat’s 31-year-old operator began circling back toward him, according to highway patrol. But as the boy swam toward the back of the boat, he was struck by the boat’s propeller.

Officials said the boy, from Carthage, was pronounced dead at the scene.

It’s unclear the relationship between the boy and the boat’s operator. The boy was taken to a funeral home in Branson.

The boy’s death was the second fatality during July on Table Rock Lake. On July 2, a 61-year-old man died after he drifted away from a boat he had been on, officials said.

Table Rock Lake is a man-made lake in the Ozarks with more than 800 miles of shoreline.

This story was originally published July 29, 2024 at 8:44 AM with the headline "6-year-old boy struck and killed by boat propeller in Ozarks lake, Missouri cops say."