Man drowns after jumping into lake to save girlfriend’s 5-year-old son

SMITHVILLE, Mo. (KCTV/Gray News) - Loved ones are ing a man who died after jumping into a Missouri lake to save a 5-year-old boy and another person not wearing a life vest.

David Moore, 66, jumped into Smithville Lake after his girlfriend’s 5-year-old son and another person not wearing a life vest began floating away from a pontoon boat Saturday afternoon. He was not wearing his life jacket, KCTV reports.

After getting the two back to the boat, the current took David Moore away, leading him to drown. His head submerged three times before he was not seen again.

“He was able to get the boy back ... but it took Dave farther away and pushed him under. He couldn’t stay up. There was an undercurrent,” family friend Hank Penland said.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol found David Moore’s body and is urging people to wear life jackets when they are out on the water. All the children involved in the incident survived.

David Moore’s family says that jumping into the water to save others is an example of who he was as a person.

“He would be the first one to help anybody,” childhood friend William “Bill” Penland said.

Teresa Petty, David Moore’s sister, learned about what happened from her younger brother, Randy Moore.

“I just lost it and started crying right away,” Petty said. “It’s terrible. It’s like a nightmare. I just wish he’d have put his life jacket on.”

The family doesn’t believe David Moore was drinking at the time he died because he was one of the only adults on the boat.

“We’re waiting on the autopsy to see because my brother was a good swimmer,” Randy Moore said.

David Moore was a contractor and owned his own business for 30 years. He was planning for retirement next July.

The 66-year-old and the Penlands, who are father and son, recently went on a cruise in Alaska. They’re happy they have those memories with the person who meant so much to them.

“We said this is kind of like a bucket trip,” Bill Penland said. “When he retired, he said he’s going to do more fishing, more hunting, more boating.”

David Moore gave Hank Penland his first job working on houses in St. Joseph when he was 12 years old. He also helped him finish re-roofing his house this year.

“He said that was the last one he was ever going to do was his own,” Hank Penland said.

Family and friends also David Moore as an avid Kansas City Chiefs fan, with many saying he was the reason why they ultimately became Chiefs fans. The last gift the 66-year-old gave his sister was a Chiefs shirt and necklace.

“He took me to my first Chiefs game a few years ago. It was freezing cold, but we stayed out there and watched the Chiefs,” Petty said.

David Moore was the first drowning at Smithville Lake this year, but he was the 28th drowning in Missouri, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol. This time last year, there were 24 drownings in the state.

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