Missing kayaker found safe

What began as a day of adventure on the North Fork of the White River turned into a tense evening Saturday, June 22, when a kayaker was reported missing on the winding waters near River of Life Farm in Dora.

Volunteer fire departments from Dora, Tecumseh and Bakersfield, along with the Missouri State Water Patrol, sprang into action after a local dispatcher relayed a report that a woman had become separated from her group and was lost.

According to this week’s sheriff’s department log, the call came in at 9:24 p.m., about an hour after sunset, when dark skies had fallen. The caller said they had put their boats in at the North Fork Recreation Area (Hammond access) and were floating that day. She said when they reached River of Life Farm, her mother was with them; however, she left to try to retrieve the group’s extra kayak, which had flipped around 7 p.m. that evening. The woman said her mother was paddling a green kayak, and the extra kayak was blue. 

At around 10 p.m., Dora VFD crews located the missing kayaker downstream of River of Life, where she had made her way to a gravel bar. Tecumseh VFD launched a rescue boat from Blair Bridge and met up with the Dora VFD to safely transport the woman to shore. She was then taken by Bakersfield VFD back to her group, who had been anxiously awaiting her return.

Thanks to swift coordination among three of Ozark County’s most active fire departments and most experienced responders, the incident ended with the best possible outcome, everyone safe and accounted for.

In a post shared after the rescue, Dora VFD offered thanks to all who participated and reminded the public to stay alert while enjoying the area’s rivers and lakes.

“While great and safe fun and memories can be had on our rivers and lakes, keep in mind that you are still out in the boondocks on a wild river,” the department wrote. “Don’t let the fact that there’s civilization just around the bend and lots of other people lull you into a false sense of security. All the laws of nature and physics still apply.”

The departments emphasized gratitude for the outcome, acknowledging that things could have easily taken a more dangerous turn.

“Great ending to this story,” Bakersfield VFD noted. “Thank you to all the responders who assisted in the search—you all are awesome.”