According to authorities, a Missouri man who dove into a river to rescue a boater stuck in a dam perished on Sunday after getting caught in the hydraulics of the dam.
According to an incident report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the 54-year-old male was declared deceased at a hospital on Sunday night.
According to the agency’s report, at approximately 5:35 p.m. on Sunday, emergency personnel were called to a water rescue of two individuals in the Elk River, which is located in the southwest region of the state, close to Noel, Missouri. A low-head dam in the river had been crossed by one of the individuals.
The incident report states that the man dove into the water above the dam to rescue a boater who had become stuck in the hydraulics, the strong, washing machine-like waters at the dam’s base. According to the agency, the individual, whose identity was withheld, was then dragged through the hydraulics after being swept up by the river.
When he surfaced again downstream, first responders gave him first aid while a bystander dragged him to safety.
After being taken to Ozarks Community Hospital, the man was declared deceased. According to the highway patrol, the boater was unharmed.
According to the environmental organization American Rivers, lowhead dams are man-made constructions that bridge streams and permit water to continue flow overtop. Because they can produce a recirculating roller-like current at the dam’s base that might trap people, boats, or other things and make escape nearly impossible, they are frequently referred to as drowning machines.
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, low-head dams in the US usually result in about 50 fatalities annually.