Man drowns at Rockford Beach
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - A man has drowned after he was floating in the water at Rockford Beach on Saturday, according to High Ridge Fire Protection District.
Fire Chief John Barton said firefighters were called to Rockford Beach in House Springs just before 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Witnesses at the scene told firefighters an adult man was seen floating in the water before disappearing and not resurfacing.
“He was walking along the rocks, and the last time they saw him, he was in the water and disappeared relatively quickly,” High Ridge Fire Protection District Chief John Barton said.
Rescuers used boats and a drone to search the river and shoreline to try to find the man, who firefighters believe was in his 30s and was visiting the river from St. Louis City with friends. High Ridge firefighters also used specialized sonar equipment to try to locate the man. He was found an hour later, dead, in approximately eight feet of water near a strong current, according to fire officials.
Chief Barton says this is the fifth drowning at the beach since 2014 and the second in the last six weeks. After the last drowning in early July, the park was closed for weeks in order to improve safety and prevent illegal parking that made it difficult for first responders to reach the river. A Jefferson County deputy is now stationed at the park while it is open.
Signage at the park discourages visitors from wading into or swimming in the water because of the strong and unpredictable currents.
“We’ll definitely have discussions at the county level on any more measures that we can take,” Barton said. “Unfortunately, I just think it’s a case of people underestimate the strength of the river down here. It’s definitely not a safe area to be swimming.”
When News 4 arrived to the park Sunday morning, the gates were closed to the public, hours after the park’s scheduled dawn opening. Barton says that there are no plans to close the park in the long term.
Big River Ambulance District, Cedar Hill Fire Protection District, Eureka Fire District, Fenton Fire Protection District, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Jefferson County 911 Dispatch and Missouri State Water Patrol all assisted in the search.
The man’s name has not yet been released.
Copyright 2023 KMOV. All rights reserved.
