O’Fallon Man Drowns in Meramec River Canoe Accident

Crawford Co., Mo. (KFMO) - A 65-year-old man from O’Fallon, Mo., drowned Wednesday afternoon after a canoeing incident on the Meramec River at Vilander Bluff inside Onondaga State Park in Crawford County.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the man suffered a medical incident around 3:15 p.m., which caused him to fall from an Osage canoe and drown. He was not wearing a safety device at the time. The victim was pronounced dead at 7:12 p.m. at the scene. This marks Troop I’s first water fatality for the month of August and the second of the year 2025.

The victim’s name has not yet been released.