A heroic man drowned in a Missouri lake after saving his girlfriend’s 5-year-old son in a tragic final act of bravery.
David Moore, 66, died after jumping into Smithville Lake, Missouri, without a life jacket on Saturday afternoon after noticing the boy and another person floating away from his pontoon boat.
Despite successfully rescuing both people, including the five-year-old boy, Moore was tragically swept away by strong currents and disappeared underwater.
Moore’s friends saw his head lift twice before he disappeared beneath the surface of the water, never to be seen again.
“He was able to get the boy back… but Dave moved even further away and pushed him down. He couldn’t stand up. There was an undercurrent,” said family friend Hank Penland. Channel 5
David Moore, 66, died after jumping into Smithville Lake, Missouri, without a life jacket on Saturday afternoon.
Despite successfully rescuing both people, including the five-year-old boy, Moore was tragically swept away by strong currents and disappeared underwater.
Moore’s body was later recovered by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The tragedy left Moore’s family in shock.
Her sister, Teresa Petty, said she “lost control and started crying immediately.”
“It’s terrible. It’s like a nightmare. I wish he had put on his life jacket,” he added.
Family and friends remember Moore as a selfless person who always put others first.
“He would be the first one to help anybody,” said his childhood friend, William “Bill” Penland.
Moore, a contractor who owned his own business for 30 years, planned to retire next July.
I had recently enjoyed a “bucket list” cruise to Alaska with friends.
“When he retired, he said he was going to fish more, hunt more and boat more,” Bill Penland recalled.
Moore, a contractor who owned his own business for 30 years, planned to retire next July. “He would be the first one to help someone,” said childhood friend William “Bill” Penland.
Moore’s body was later recovered by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Moore’s death marks the first drowning at Smithville Lake this year and the 28th in Missouri, according to state officials.
Moore, an avid Kansas City Chiefs fan, introduced many to the team.
The last gift he gave his sister was a Chiefs jersey and necklace.
“A few years ago he took me to my first Chiefs game. It was freezing cold, but we stayed there and watched the Chiefs,” Petty recalled.
Moore’s death marks the first drowning at Smithville Lake this year and the 28th in Missouri, according to state officials.
Authorities urge people to wear life jackets when in the water.
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