WEST PLAINS, Mo. — A second drowning fatality has been confirmed in connection with recent flooding in the West Plains area. Authorities recovered the body of a 45-year-old local man on Sunday afternoon, two days after his vehicle was swept away by floodwaters in Mustion Creek, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Officials say the incident occurred around 6:16 p.m. Friday, when the man attempted to cross a low-water slab during rising flood conditions. His vehicle was quickly overtaken by the current. The man reportedly exited the vehicle in an attempt to escape the floodwaters but tragically drowned before reaching safety. His body was located and recovered from the creek on Sunday, and he was officially pronounced dead at the scene by the Howell County coroner at 2:14 p.m.
The victim’s identity has not yet been released, pending family notification.
This marks the second drowning in West Plains on Friday evening, as authorities also responded to a separate but similar incident just 20 minutes earlier. In that case, a 57-year-old man from O’Fallon, Missouri, also exited his vehicle after it was carried off by floodwaters. He, too, succumbed to the rushing water.
The two deaths are the first reported drownings of 2025 for Troop G, which had reported zero drownings at this time last year.
Emergency officials continue to urge residents to avoid flooded roadways and never attempt to drive through moving water, especially across low-water crossings. The National Weather Service and local agencies have emphasized the dangers of flood-prone areas in the wake of recent storms that have saturated the region.
The incidents remain under investigation.
