Missouri saw 40 drownings in the last year

There was a drowning last night at Shoal Creek and five drownings in the last month in Missouri.

According to the Missouri State High Patrol, there have been 40 drowning’s in the last year.

People at Finger Lakes State Park in Boone County told ABC 17 how they keep themselves safe.

Jacob Hodgen and his family spent the day at the park canoeing and he told us that he read about the drowning’s and because of it he does everything he can to keep his family safe.

“I have a life-jacket on me, a life-preserver, and a floatation device,” said Hodgen.

Sergeant Scott White told us that a life jacket is crucial and that in almost all of the drownings last year, “nobody was wearing a life-jacket,” said White.

White points out that typically people who fall off the boat or dock survive the fall, but it’s when they get into the water.

“They enter an environment that’s not hospitable to any human being,” said White.

He said oftentimes, it’s a lack of swimming experience. White says when you are in the water you have to make sure you have your wits about you.

“Make sure you’re sober, you know where your at, you know the water conditions,” said White.

White said people need to treat being in the water, like being behind the wheel.

Almost twenty percent of last year’s drownings happened at the Lake of the Ozarks.