Boating Accident at Stockton Lake

A man trying to enjoy a morning of fishing instead was badly hurt when he had a boating accident.  It happened at Stockton Lake near the Cedar-Dade County line just after 10:00 a.m.

The Missouri Water Patrol says the 77-year-old man was navigating the waters near a location where some power lines had come down.  Lake authorities had put out a warning about these towers a few weeks ago when the lines fell during some severe weather.

The man's boat struck the downed lines, throwing him backward but he never fell into the water.  The Dade County Sheriff says if you can't have a second person in the boat with you, you should watch for cordoned off areas.

"After the lines in the tower went down, they did buoy that section off to give boaters a warning there downed power lines here." says Dade County Sheriff Steve Stapp.

The fisherman has some chest and back injuries, but is expected to make a full recovery. He was well enough to use his cell phone to call for help after the accident.  However, the man was taken to a local hospital by air ambulance.