PERRYVILLE, Mo. – The low water level in the Mississippi River is creating once-in-a-lifetime moments for some.

“It’s beautiful,” Joshua Speakman said. “I think it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing to see the water this low.”

The low water level allows tourists to walk from the shore to the landmark island, Tower Rock, because of the low water level.

“It’s such an unusual thing to basically walk where the river is running,” Larry Riney, the Perryville Mayor said.

Riney has lived in the area his whole life and said the water drops this low once every 15 years.

The rare occasion has brought people out in droves.

“You’d think there was a playoff game happening in Cape Girardeau with how many people are out here,” Andrew Miller said.

While the opportunity to walk out to Tower Rock is a dream come true for some, it’s a nightmare for businesses that rely on the river.

“I think if we don’t get rain, we might be out of business all winter,” Ronnie Inman said.

Inman helps oversee the ferry business at Ste. Genevieve County Port Authority. It transports farmers and tourists between Missouri and Illinois.

“It’s bad because we don’t have any income right now,” Inman said.

There’s also been safety concerns at the site.

“A train hit a truck down here,” Riney said. “The train had to stop which closed the road off for a few hours, and no one was able to get in or out.”

Riney wants to remind people that if they do visit the site, it should be done safely, by parking away from the train tracks and not climbing Tower Rock.