Illinois Man Drowns While Watching Missouri Boat Race
SUNRISE BEACH, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say an Illinois man has drowned while watching a popular boat race at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol identified the victim as 23-year-old Sean Burgess, of Peoria, Illinois. The patrol says he was last seen on a large floating mat watching a racing event, called the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.
People he was watching the race with discovered him missing Saturday afternoon, although none of them saw him enter the water. The races were stopped as the patrol searched for him.
Divers found his body later that night in 37 feet (11.3 meters) of water. The drag-race style boating event typically draws massive crowds that tie up in a giant, miles-long flotilla to watch the races.
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