Drowned boater identified; was not wearing life jacket

The missing boater whose body was recovered Monday afternoon from the Diversion Channel has been identified.

Brian Ourth

The Missouri State Highway Patrol identified the man as Brian Ourth, 57, from Chaffee, Missouri, according to the drowning incident report.

Ourth was operating a trolling motor and fell overboard into the water, the report said. This matches the account from two fishermen who said they heard a splash and a cry for help, then saw the man go beneath the surface, before calling 911.

The incident report said Ourth "struggled to stay above water, submerged and did not resurface." He was pronounced dead at the scene by Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton.

Ourth was not wearing a safety device, according to the report.

This is the second boating fatality of the year for the state highway patrol's Troop E, which covers Southeast Missouri.

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Scott City, Mo.

Chaffee, Mo.