MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Mo. – A Weldon Spring, Missouri, man drowned over the weekend in a lake in rural Montgomery County.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s incident report, the drowning occurred around 5 p.m. Saturday at Golden Eagle Lake, located approximately 11 miles southeast of Montgomery City.
The highway patrol said William R. Hitzemann was on a boat in the lake when he attempted to swim to shore. Hitzemann went into distress and was unable to make it to the shore. Hitzemann as 45.
The highway patrol’s report indicates Hitzemann was not wearing a life vest.
The St. Louis Blues Warrior Hockey organization, a 501(c)(3) that provides opportunities for disabled veterans to play hockey, posted on its Facebook page Sunday describing Hitzemann, who was a waitlist member for the group, as a loving husband and father. The group started a GoFundMe to raise money to support Hitzemann’s family.
