OWENSVILLE, Mo. – A tragic boating accident on Gasconade River this past weekend has left a family without a father and daughter and other family members in the hospital.
Owensville residents are mourning two beloved community members who were lost too soon while celebrating over the holiday weekend. The accident serves as a reminder that everything can change in the blink of an eye.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the boat crash happened at 7 p.m. Sunday. Owensville Fire and Rescue were called to a search and rescue on the Gasconade River, just upstream from Pointers Creek.
The highway patrol said the pilot of a 2002 Gator boat inadvertently struck a root wad, causing the boat to strike a rock bluff.
Officials were then informed this was a mass casualty event and responded within 15 minutes with multiple personnel, two boats, and a drone. Rescue workers were able to save five family members from the water.
The Osage County Coroner pronounced the pilot, 30-year-old Reven Newbound, and his 7-year-old daughter dead at the scene by 7:30 p.m. The two died from their injuries.
“A huge loss. The schools especially. Losing a little girl. Losing your friend. Losing your classmate,” Jeff Arnold, Chief of Owensville Volunteer Fire Department, said. “Reven was a very well-known around the community, doing the demolition derbies and such. Overall, well-rounded guy; great loss for the community.”
A member of the Newbound family told FOX 2 that Reven grew up on the river and knew what he was doing while he was boating. Reven was a frequent boater, avid mechanic, and worked with machinery. His family said it’s been hard to accept that accidents happen every day.
“The Gasconade has such shallow areas that you can’t make it through, and you have to find alternate routes to make it around,” Arnold said.
On November 9, Reven and his wife Sam’s high school classmates will host a benefit at White Mule Winery outside of Rosebud. Loved ones have created a GoFundMe for the family. They also have an account at The Maries County Bank where you can enter any branch and say you’d like to contribute to the Newbound family, and the money will be put in their account.
A statement from Reven’s employer, Kolb Grading, sent to FOX 2 says, “Words can’t describe the shock and sorrow that is running through our company. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.”
No funeral arrangements for Reven or his daughter have been made yet. The family says they’re waiting for everyone to be safely home from the hospital to make those plans.
