News Releases

Ameren Missouri and the Missouri State Highway Patrol promote boating safety with summer giveaway

LAKE OZARK, Mo. (June 25, 2025) – This summer, children spotted wearing their U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets while on the water at Lake of the Ozarks will receive a free T-shirt courtesy of Ameren Missouri.

Marine troopers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol will hand out the T-shirts while monitoring the lake throughout the summer. The giveaway, which runs all season long, rewards safe choices and reminds families that properly fitted life jackets are the simplest way to prevent tragedies on the water.

“Seeing kids proudly put safety first is one of the best parts of my summer,” said Bryan Vance, manager of the shoreline management office at Ameren Missouri. “We’re excited to continue this fun tradition with the Highway Patrol and hope every family enjoys a safe season on Missouri’s most popular lake.”

Last year, troopers distributed more than 750 T-shirts during routine safety checks and courtesy stops. The program complements Missouri law, which requires children under the age of seven to wear a life jacket any time they are on a vessel, unless they are inside a completely enclosed cabin.

“Nationwide, drowning accounts for three‑quarters of boating fatalities, and nearly 90% of those victims weren’t wearing a life jacket, according to the latest U.S. Coast Guard data,” said Captain Mike Petlansky, division director of Missouri’s water patrol division. “When kids get a shirt for doing the right thing, it sends a powerful message to everyone else onboard.”

Ameren Missouri encourages all Lake of the Ozarks visitors to follow the Coast Guard’s recommendations for proper life jacket use for children:

• Always wear a life jacket while aboard a vessel and when near a body of water – including boat docks and shorelines.
• Check the manufacturer’s label to ensure that the life jacket is a proper fit for your child’s size and weight.
• Tighten all straps so the life jacket is properly fastened.
• Check the fit by lifting the shoulders of the life jacket. If it hits the top of the child’s ears, it’s too big. Make sure there is no excess room above the openings and that the life jacket does not go over their chin or face.
• Try the life jacket in shallow water, under safe and supervised conditions, to ensure a proper fit.
• Life jackets should never replace adult supervision.

In addition to wearing life jackets, everyone should practice safety around docks and the shoreline. Here are some quick safety reminders for the 2025 season:

• Wear it right: Make sure every passenger has a properly fitted, Coast Guard–approved life jacket. Replace any jacket that is waterlogged, torn or missing straps.
• Designate a sober captain: Alcohol remains a leading factor in fatal boating incidents nationwide.
• Watch the weather: Ozark storms can develop quickly. Check forecasts and head to shore at the first sign of lightning or high winds.
• Mind your wake: Slow to idle speed within 100 feet of docks, swimmers or anchored boats.
• Equip your craft: Have working navigation lights, a throwable flotation device and a charged fire extinguisher on board.
• Know the rules: Operators born after Jan. 1, 1984, must carry a boating safety identification card.
• Maintain your dock: Inspect dock wiring and lighting fixtures to ensure they are properly maintained and free from damage or corrosion.
• Stay grounded: Install Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) on all dock electrical outlets to prevent electrical shocks.

Ameren Missouri manages the shoreline of Lake of the Ozarks under a license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The Shoreline Management Office is responsible for implementing the FERC-approved Shoreline Management Plan at Lake of the Ozarks.

For Ameren Missouri’s updated report on Lake of the Ozarks water levels, please call 573.365.9205 or visit AmerenMissouri.com/Lake for hourly Lake of the Ozarks water level information.

About Ameren Missouri
Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than 100 years, and the company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. Ameren Missouri's mission is to power the quality of life for its 1.3 million electric and 135,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. The company's service area covers approximately 60 counties and more than 500 communities, including the greater St. Louis area. For more information, visit Ameren.com/Missouri or follow us at @AmerenMissouri or Facebook.com/AmerenMissouri.