Brian & Nathan Keese Water Safety Organization
Dedicated to making recreational water activities safer and increase awareness of hazardous conditions at Lake Stockton, Missouri.
Making Water Recreation Safer
Working with others to make Stockton Lake, Missouri a safer place
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Water Safety House Bill Number 1452
Missouri Water Safety Bill affecting boating laws filed Monday January 23rd and also referred to the Crime Prevention and Public Safety Committee.
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Our Purpose
The Brian & Nathan Keese Water Safety Organization was created following a horrible, yet preventable, tragedy that occured on a father/son camping and fishing excursion at Lake Stockton, MO.
They were doing what mattered most in their lives which was spending time with each other. While camping and fishing a sudden storm caused a boating accident that took them home to be with their Heavenly Father.
Using the backdrop of this tragedy, the charitable and educational purpose of the Brian & Nathan Keese Water Safety Organization is to call attention to, and remedy, the current situation at Lake Stockton and other Missouri lakes by focusing on weather warning systems, life jacket and vest usage, and boat operator training.
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Issues, both Water safety, and Boating safety at Lake Stockton, Mo.
Safety issues identified at Lake Stockton, MO include, but are not limited to, the following items:
- Lack of any visible warning signs both at boat ramps, and at entrance at campgrounds
- Lack of any visible warning signs in regards to wearing life jackets/vests while on the water, and enforcement of existing regulations
- Increase public awareness in the surrounding areas as to consequences of substandard boat owner training and licensing.
- Implement support for mandatory boating safety training and licensing of all boat owner/operators. Communicate vision to Missouri State, Federal regulatory authorities, Lake Stockton- Army Corp of Engineers, and Lake Stockton- Missouri Water Patrol.
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Communicate and seek guidance from the following Organizations:
SafeBoatingCouncil.org
SafeKidsSpringfield.org
National Assoc. of State boating Administrators (NASBLA)
WaterSafetyCongress.org (currently undergoing redesign)
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Our Goals
The goal of the Brian & Nathan Keese Water Safety Organization is to work to outline, fund, and implement water safety and boating safety projects beginning at Lake Stockton, MO and growing to include all Missouri lakes.
Stockton Lake, Missouri
Stockton Lake has 298 miles of shoreline and is managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The lake is approximately one hour northwest of Springfield, Missouri and covers 61,000 acres of land and water.
Brian and Nathan Keese
Brian and Nathan were enjoying a father/son weekend on Stockton Lake in Missouri when tragedy struck on March 27, 2010. Their boat overturned in rough 41 degree water resulting in their preventable drownings.
Lifeguards
While over 90% of families with young children will be in the water at some point this summer, almost half (48%) plan to swim in a place with no lifeguard. Source: American Red Cross
