1 man dead after boat overturned on pond in Miami County on Friday

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 65-year-old man succumbed to his injuries after he fell into water when a boat overturned on a Miami County pond on Friday, according to a press release from the Miami County Sheriff’s Office.

Another individual in the boat was able to make it to shore on their own, and was taken to a hospital in stable condition and later released.

The two individuals were breaking ice on the pond in an attempt to fix a fountain that had overturned when their boat tipped over and the two fell into the water, according to the release.

On Friday, Jan. 12, the Miami County Communications Center received a 911 call from a reporting party who witnessed two individuals falling into a pond after their boat overturned in the 25000 block of West 215th Street, just west of Spring Hill, Kansas.

As emergency personnel dispatched to the scene, the caller stayed on the phone with dispatch and advised them one individual had made it to shore while the other was struggling and wasn’t visible at one point, per the release.

Miami County Emergency Medical Services, Johnson County Fire District 1 and the Osawatomie Fire Department responded to the scene.

Members with Johnson County Fire District 1 pulled the struggling individual, who was 30 to 40 feet from the shore, from the pond. Life-saving measures were then performed on him. He was transported to an area hospital in critical condition while the other was taken in stable condition, per the release.

The man who was in critical condition, Michael A. Motta, 65, of Spring Hill, later died of his injuries. The other individual, who has not been identified, was release from the hospital.

No foul play is suspected as the cause of death remains under investigation.

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