A waitress nearly drowned after being dragged into a lake by a group of rioters seeking food and drink.
Liahna Bertels, 20, was forced to swim out of Lake Missouri, crying and traumatized by the encounter. It took her a total of 10 minutes to get back to land, she said.
It happened on Friday after the group of seven enjoyed a lavish feast served by their waitress at the Fish and Company restaurant in Camdenton.
But when they left, the group purposely left the bill behind, apparently upset that one of them couldn’t place a drink order.
This prompted the single mother to chase them to the dock in front of the restaurant. When she reached the robbers’ luxury boat, she was dragged out into the lake. The group managed to escape, but one of the group members is apparently cooperating with the police.
Liahna Bertels, 20, was forced to swim out of Lake Missouri, crying and traumatized by the encounter.
It happened on Friday after the group of seven enjoyed a lavish meal served by their waitress at the Fish and Company restaurant in Camdenton.
“When I fell into the water they decided to start laughing and clapping, which really hurt,” Bertels said. KY3.
“And I was crying and screaming in the water and I didn’t know what to do.”
Eventually, the mother of one managed to leave, while a security camera captured the group not only leaving the premises, but also sitting at their outdoor table while the waitress catered to their every whim.
As of this writing, the Camden County Sheriff’s Office has not named any of them, though one of them has reached out to the department in the midst of its investigation.
The man has been photographed but not identified. Police have released few details about his involvement in the case, revealing that although he was wanted as a member of the pontoon group, he was not a suspect.
‘The subject of the photograph has contacted our office and is cooperating with our investigation. At this time we do not believe he is a suspect in this case.
“The investigation continues as officers and detectives are following up on leads,” Tuesday’s statement read.
The image shows another woman wanted as a member of the group, who at the time of writing this article, remains at large.
But when they left, the group purposely left the bill behind, apparently upset that one of them couldn’t place a drink order.
This encouraged the single mother to chase him, along the dock in front of the restaurant.
When they reached the robbers’ luxury boat, they dragged her out into the lake. She eventually managed to get out, but the group managed to escape.
One of the participants, the man seen on the left, is apparently cooperating with police, who say he is not believed to be a suspect. The woman to his right was also being sought but had not been located as of Thursday, police said.
Surveillance video shows the group leaving the restaurant along the pier, with some of them even dancing.
As they head to their boat, Bertels, who has a three-year-old child at home, is seen hurrying to catch up with them.
Once she did, she reminded them that they had not paid, after which they grabbed her wrist, threw her into the water and sped away, she said.
The clip doesn’t show this because they were too far away, but after about ten minutes, a soaked Bertels is seen slowly walking back to safety.
He has since said the incident was sparked when he refused to serve one of the women a drink because she did not have proper identification, leading to some anger before they ordered their food.
Within half an hour, they placed their food orders, apparently with the intention of not paying.
“We’ve gotten to the point where if you’re going to chase someone, you have to let them know you’re going and take someone with you,” Fish and Company general manager Sean Dolven said of the changes they’ve made since the incident, which is still under investigation.
“We’ve gotten to the point where if you’re going to chase someone, you have to let them know you’re going and take someone with you,” Fish and Company general manager Sean Dolven (right with Bertels) said of the changes they’ve made since the incident.
Bertels said the incident left her in tears, after being forced to tread water for more than ten minutes.
Meanwhile, police are treating it as a case of misdemeanor assault, despite the dangers the single mother may have faced. Pictured here, the restaurant and pier where the altercation occurred
They have expressed their belief that the suspects are from out of state, but are still searching for more leads. Bertels is pictured here on the left with a friend.
All of this came for a bill of about $150, both staff members said, while the local sheriff’s office said they had difficulty making out some of the faces in the videos.
As for the two apparently identified, one is still being sought and the other is not believed to have been one of those who hacked the server.
Meanwhile, police are treating it as a misdemeanor assault case, despite the dangers the single mother may have faced.
They have expressed the belief that the suspects are from out of state, but are still searching for more clues.
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