OSAGE COUNTY  — Reven Newbound, 30, and Avery DeBoeuf, 7, of Owensville, were killed on Sunday evening when they and five others were traveling upstream in a 2002 Gatorboat hit a root wad and crashed into a rock bluff. Avery is the daughter of Reven and Samantha Newbound, and Blake DeBoeuf.

The 7 p.m. accident happened on the Gasconade River, about a mile between Pointers Creek and Rollins Ferry, in Osage County, according to Osage County Sheriff Michael Bonham, noting the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Water Division investigated the circumstances surrounding the accident to determine what led to this unfortunate event. “It always saddens me to see this kind of accident,” said Bonham. “We grieve with and for the family. These people are known to this area, so it’s very personal. We never want to see death on one of our rivers, which is why we have a watercraft patrol at the sheriff’s office. The river is very low right now and very dangerous.”

The boat used to assist with this operation has also seen action in recovery situations. “We continue to train to ensure our team is aware of the rivers,” Bonham noted. “So many things change on the rivers, especially when the water level drops so much. At the time of the accident, they traveled through a side channel that bottlenecks and only one boat could go through at a time. The water wasn’t very deep, maybe a couple or three feet. Our purpose is to keep everyone safe on the river, and we encourage boaters to be alert for changes in the river.”

The Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report noted that the 2002 Gatorboat had seven people aboard when it crashed at 7 p.m. on Sunday in Osage County on the Gasconade River.

Samantha Newbound, 29, of Owensville, and three children — a baby boy, a 4-year-old girl, and a 9-year-old girl — were seriously injured.

According to the Highway Patrol, all the children were reportedly wearing life jackets at the time of the crash; however, none of the adults were so equipped.

Samantha Newbound was flown by Air Ambulance to University Hospital with serious injuries. Cole County EMS transported the baby boy and the 4-year-old girl, and Osage Ambulance District took the 9-year-old girl, also with serious injuries, to University Hospital in Columbia.

Taylor McClure, 21, of Bland, had minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

Osage County Coroner AJ Probst pronounced Reven Newbound and his daughter deceased at the scene at 7:30 p.m. They were taken to Morton Chapel in Linn.

Probst said no autopsy would be conducted.

MSHP Trooper O’Brien and Sgt. Blankenbeker with the MCIU investigated the scene, assisted by Sgts. Brazas, Borgmeyer, and Holzschuh, Conservation Agent Stoner, and Osage County deputies.

Linn Fire Protection District, Belle Fire, and Owensville Fire were also dispatched to the scene.

The MSHP reported this is Troop F’s first and second boating fatality in September and the third and fourth fatalities in 2024.