HICKORY COUNTY, Mo. — A man is dead after drowning in Pomme de Terre Lake.

Steven L. Kessler, 59, of Houston, Missouri, was pronounced dead at a hospital at 4:11 p.m. on June 7, 2023.

According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol incident report, the incident was investigated at 2:40 p.m. An investigation found that a 2022 Hurricane 18-foot vessel was adrift in a cove on Pomme de Terre Lake. Kessler had jumped from the boat into the water to swim. When he surfaced, he called for help, saying that he could not breathe.

Witnesses threw a lifejacket to Kessler and attempted to get him to land, but they were unable to keep his head above water. CPR was conducted until emergency medical responders arrived and took over. Life-saving measures were unsuccessful.

This is the third drowning in Troop D in 2023.