Missing toddler wanders into water and drowns in Lake of the Ozarks, MO officials say

A missing 2-year-old girl was found dead in Lake of the Ozarks following an hours-long search, Missouri officials say.

Authorities in Camden County were alerted around 4:45 p.m. Monday, March 3, about the missing toddler, and crews set up a perimeter to begin the search, according to the Northwest Fire Protection District.

The girl from was last seen around 3 p.m. at a Camden County home, officials said.

Crews from 10 agencies “searched the home, wooded area around the residence, shoreline and docks,” according to the fire district. They utilized “drones, helicopters, boats, k9’s and thermal imaging cameras” in the search.

She was ultimately found around 8 p.m. next to a dock in Lake of the Ozarks, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. She was located near the 43-mile marker of Bollinger Creek Cove.

CPR was administered, but the girl was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

Highway patrol said the girl had entered the lake “in an unknown means” before drowning.

The girl, from Roach, has not been publicly identified.

Camden County is about a 175-mile drive southwest from St. Louis.

This story was originally published March 4, 2025 at 10:23 AM with the headline "Missing toddler wanders into water and drowns in Lake of the Ozarks, MO officials say."