A man drowned in the Big River near Rockford Beach in House Springs on Aug. 12.
Officials believe the man fell into the river that afternoon and disappeared under the water. His body was found later that day.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol has not released the man’s name, age or hometown because his next of kin has not yet been notified, Cpl. Dallas Thompson said this afternoon, Aug. 14, at Leader deadline.
“(The man) was walking along the rocks at the dam at Rockford Beach. People he was with lost sight of him. They approached a (Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office) deputy and said they lost track of him. He reportedly couldn’t swim,” said John Barton, the High Ridge Fire Protection District chief.
Barton said the man’s body was found in approximately 8 feet of water near an area with strong currents.
“We don’t know the exact detail of what happened because nobody witnessed it,” Barton said. “It sounds like he was walking along the rocks, which would have been slippery if there was moss on it. The current would have taken him pretty quickly.”
The High Ridge Fire Protection District got a call for a water rescue near Rockford Beach at 3:25 p.m.
“When the first unit arrived on the scene, they were informed that an adult male was last seen floating in the water before disappearing, and he did not resurface,” High Ridge Fire reported in a written statement. “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased.”
High Ridge Fire used three boats and a drone to search along the river and shoreline for the missing person. The victim was found about an hour later, according to the statement.
In addition High Ridge Fire, the Cedar Hill, Eureka and Fenton fire protection districts, the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Water Patrol Division, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Big River Ambulance District helped at the scene, the report said.
Barton said Eureka Fire deployed a boat downriver in case the man floated downstream, and Cedar Hill Fire put a boat in the water as a safety precaution, in case first responders needed immediate assistance.
High Ridge Fire used its boat for sonar imaging after using a drone that failed to turn up the victim.
“We put our drone in the air and boat in the water to do a quick search of the area,” Barton said. “We weren’t able to locate him, and that’s when we put our sonar system to use, which gives us visibility under the water.”
He said the man was found about 40 to 50 feet from the shore.
Barton said a Sheriff’s Office deputy stationed at the front of the park helped close it down and escorted people out of the park.
Rockford Beach remained closed for the rest of Aug. 12.
Tim Pigg, director for the Jefferson County Department of Parks and Recreation, said the park reopened about mid-morning the next day. The park’s operations continued normally on Monday.
He said the Parks and Recreation Department has no plans to temporarily shut down the park, where signs are posted recommending that people don’t swim at Rockford Beach.
“This is a personal choice for people to get into the water,” Pigg said. “This is still the United States of America. We still have freedoms.”
It was the second drowning on the Big River near Rockford Beach this summer.
Hamsa Mohamed, 41, of St. Louis jumped into the river from a bluff on July 2 and disappeared under the water. His body was found the next day.
“He was found in the same area of the river as the victim we had in July,” Barton said. “It’s an area of strong currents, a circular current. People get pulled into the current and it turns them around, drags them back under. The current sort of dives down and pulls them back up.”
After the July 2 drowning, the park was shut down for four days as the Parks and Recreation Department and Sheriff’s Office decided how to best control the large number of people using the park on weekends. Grant Bissell, a Sheriff’s Office spokesman, said a deputy is posted at the entrance of the park from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. during weekends to limit the traffic inside the park.
“(The Jefferson County Council) are the ones who (could decide) to close it permanently,” Pigg said.
He said the Parks and Recreation Department can only close the park temporarily.
“It’s a powerful river. It deserves everybody’s absolute respect,” Pigg said. “We don’t recommend swimming or wading in it, but people make their own choices, unfortunately.”
According to the county Parks and Recreation website, the Big River is a swift-moving stream and is not recommended for swimming or wading.
“The (deputy’s) presence didn’t dissuade the person from getting in the water,” Pigg said. “Even if we shut down the park, people will find a way to get in the water.”