Authorities have identified Hamsa Mohamed, 41, of St. Louis as the man who drowned after jumping from a bluff into the Big River at Rockford Beach in House Springs on Sunday, July 2, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported.
After Mohamed jumped into the river, he attempted to float but did not surface. He was not wearing a life jacket, the patrol reported.
Authorities received a call at 7:48 p.m. about a man who disappeared under the water, and personnel from the High Ridge Fire Protection District, the highway patrol and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office responded. A search was held that evening but was called off and resumed on Monday morning, July 3, using boats, sonar imaging software and equipment to drag the bottom of the river. The search ended at 10:35 a.m. when the body was found.
Thompson said it was the patrol’s first call this summer for a drowning at Rockford Beach, which has seen numerous drownings over the past several years.
According to the Jefferson County Parks and Recreation website, the Big River is a swift-moving stream and is not recommended for swimming or wading. Signs are posted at Rockford Beach warning people against swimming there.