Divers recover victim: Extreme pontoon boat test run ends in fatality after boat grabs during turn, occupants thrown into lakes cold water

By Joyce L. Miller/Lake Sun
Published: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 9:45 PM CDT
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LAKE OF THE OZARKS Divers recovered the body of a 37-year-old Washington man near the 29-mile marker Tuesday evening.

Michael Powers, 37, was reported missing early Tuesday and presumed drowned by the Missouri Water Patrol.

Powers is believed to have drowned shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday after being thrown overboard while testing a 26-foot Playcraft Tritoon Extreme pontoon boat.


The boat was piloted by Joseph Dorris, 45, of Lebanon. Powers and Dorris were working for the Richland, Mo., boat manufacturer.

According to the Water Patrol report, Dorris was heading downstream at about 35 to 40 mph when the driver made a right turn. The boat apparently grabbed and rolled to the port or left side, throwing the driver and Powers into the water.

Powers resurfaced after hitting the water but did not make it to the shoreline. Dorris was able to swim to safety. Dorris told officers when he looked back, Powers had disappeared. The water temperature is around 60 degrees.



Dorris father, who was watching the test run from shore, said he could see the pontoon boat circling from his dock, a distance of about 250 feet. He sent another employee of the manufacturer out to where the boat was circling to help, but Powers had already disappeared from sight.

Average water depth in the area is about 45 feet.

The Water Patrol used side-scan sonar to search for the body, Captain Matt Walz said.



Officers will pull the electronic chip off the pontoons motor to see if they can determine an exact rate of speed. Officers will also try and reconstruct the accident to get a better idea of what happened.

So far in 2006, there have been seven boating related fatalities in the lake area.

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Very sad. My pontoon boat rarely goes over 15 mph.

TERRIBLE, Just hate to hear this kind of stuff.

Sorrry To Hear This. I Guess They Were Not Wearing Lifejackets ?

and probably no kiil either

These are the same poeple that bring the pontoons to the shootout. You would think that the speeds that these are reaching now, they would be more careful and wear jackets and lanyards. Sad to see this occurring over and over. What is it going to take?

Just goes to show - never assume things arenīt going to go wrong. Itīs safety, safety, safety, every time. Especially where water is concerned. Those out there who think only nancy boys where life preservers and take other precautions also, need to read this.