The Osage County Sheriff’s Office says an Overland Park man died in a boating accident this past weekend.
Sheriff Chris Wells says 28-year-old Justin T Steinman was duck hunting when the accident happened on Melvern Lake around 3:40 pm Saturday. Sheriff’s Office Communications Director Bret Lewis says the incident developed near the middle of the lake between Turkey Point on the north side and Arrow Rock on the south.
Steinman was found after a lengthy air, land and water search involving Osage County deputies, Osage County EMS, Osage County Fire District 2 Osage City, Osage County Fire District 3 Melvern, Reading Fire, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and the LifeSave helicopter out of Emporia. Life-saving measures were performed and Steinman was taken to an unspecified hospital but was pronounced deceased.
The US Army Corps of Engineers says the lake temperature was 34 degrees as part of a social media report Friday. It also says ice coverage was 25 percent heading into the weekend. Winds are believed to have been between 15-20 mph steadily with gusts above 30 mph Saturday afternoon.
Other details about the incident are still pending as a joint investigation continues involving Osage County deputies and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
