ST. LOUIS — This is the same scene where that unidentified man drowned August 13 on Saturday afternoon. As a family mourns the death of a loved one, authorities are investigating whether those newly implemented safety measures were in place at the time of this incident.
The call for response came in around 3:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon. Rescue crews report that when they arrived at Rockford Beach, they were informed that a man had been seen floating in the water but then disappeared.
Multiple boats and sonar equipment were deployed to search, and they recovered the body about an hour later. He was found eight feet deep in the water near a strong current. Authorities say that this water can be the most dangerous.
This incident comes about a month after a 41-year-old individual also drowned after jumping off the bluff.
Safety issues plague the park due to overcrowding as well as reckless behavior, which only adds to the difficulties of responding to rescues, authorities say. The park has been closed several times in the last several months.
Recently, they also informed us that part of their safety plans would involve having a sheriff’s deputy on-site during peak hours. Fox2 is currently reaching out to ascertain whether that was the case on Saturday. We will continue to keep you updated as we gather more information about the victim and the circumstances at the park.