Parents of Waterloo man who drowned in Lake of the Ozarks file wrongful death suit
The parents of a Waterloo man who died in the Lake of the Ozarks in August have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against three metro-east men they contend were “negligent and reckless ” in the lead up to their son’s death.
Divers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol recovered Sean Jouglard’s body near the 20-mile marker of the Lake of the Ozark’s main channel near Osage Beach on Aug. 9. He had been reported missing after being thrown from the boat in which he was riding and not resurfacing from the water.
Elizabeth and Philip Jouglard, Sean’s parents, filed the lawsuit in the Camden County, Missouri Circuit Court earlier this month alleging that the actions of three men, Dylan McEwen of Caseyville and Eric Goette and Ronald Goette of Columbia, led to their 21-year-old son’s death.
The family is asking for $25,000 on each of two counts plus court fees, interest and punitive damages.
According to the complaint, McEwen was driving the Goette’s 2008 Monterey Open Bow boat with Eric Goette and Jouglard on board when the boat hit a large wake at a high speed. Jouglard was thrown from the boat and did not resurface from the lake.
Eric Goette and McEwen then left the scene in the boat and called for help 15 minutes later, the lawsuit alleges.
The Jouglards also claim that Goette and McEwen were drinking while operating the boat, driving at high speeds and that they lied to police about how Jouglard ended up in the water. They also did not attempt to rescue him when he went overboard, the complaint states.
According to court documents, the Jouglards allege Ronald Goette played a part in Sean’s death by allowing McEwen to drive the boat. They allege that Goette knew McEwen did not have enough experience to operate the boat.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.
This story was originally published September 23, 2021 at 11:53 AM.