BALLWIN, Mo. — It has happened already this holiday weekend. There has been another drowning in the Meramec River.
Rescue crews recovered the body of a 16-year-old girl who went underwater at about 3:15 p.m. and did not resurface, according to a spokesperson for Metro West Fire Protection District, Station 1.
About 50 first responders from multiple jurisdictions took part in the effort to find the girl. They searched almost six hours along a stretch of river next to Castlewood State Park in west St. Louis County.
Officials are not yet releasing her identity, but they say she is from the St. Louis area. They add that recent rains have made an already dangerous river even more dangerous.
She is the fifth person to drown in the Meramec River this year.
“To preserve your life, you have to wear a life jacket,“ said Metro West Fire Protection Division Chief Mike Thiemann. That’s the holiday weekend message from first responders, who were hoping to avoid this.
Early Friday evening, a police helicopter could be seen flying up and down the river, searching for the victim or her body.
The most recent drowning happened on the day the Missouri State Highway Patrol released a public service announcement on Twitter.
It begins, “If you’re going to be out on the water this holiday weekend, think safety.”
Several people have drowned or been injured in Missouri swimming and boating accidents already this season.
Thiemann says in this case, the area is overgrown and difficult to reach, and the entire river is up as much as 11 feet due to recent rains.
“There is lots of debris,” said Thiemann. “As the water rises, it sucks debris into the waterway, and all it takes is for you to get hit by one log, one tree, whatever it is, and that’s it.”
First responders asked the media to get the word out.
“All evening long,” said Thiemann, “if you can put this out – life jackets save lives. We’ve been sharing on social media the last two weeks, and something went out today. That will make an impact on this weekend.”
It is worth pointing out that not even life jackets always save lives. In one recent case, an 11-year-old boy at Rockford Beach drowned even though he was wearing a life jacket.
Perhaps the best plan is – stay out of the Meramec River.
The highway patrol will release a PSA each day this holiday weekend. Look for it on social media platforms such as Twitter.