Heroic Missouri Man Drowns Saving Lives, Leaves Us With Critical Life Vest Lesson

In a tragic yet heroic tale that's pissed off all the right people (i.e., those who don't care about safety), a Missouri man recently drowned after saving not one, but two lives. Buckle up, folks, because this story is a wild ride of bravery and stupidity.

David Moore, a 66-year-old from St. Joseph, Missouri, met his untimely end on Aug. 17 after jumping into the water to save his girlfriend's 5-year-old son. The boy, who was wearing a life vest (kudos to him for being responsible), began to float away from the boat. But wait, there's more! Another person, who wasn't wearing a life vest (yes, you read that right), also fell into the water, according to KQ2 ABC and KCTV 5.

Moore, also not wearing a vest (sigh), jumped in like the hero he was. The two people fell off a pontoon boat on Smithville Lake, about 30 miles north of Kansas City. Moore managed to rescue both individuals and get them back on the boat, but in a cruel twist of fate, the current pulled him away, causing him to drown. The other two survived, because of course they did.

His head went underwater three times before he disappeared. The Missouri State Highway Patrol later found Moore's body, as reported by KCTV 5.

David Moore 'spent a lifetime' helping others (because apparently, that's what heroes do)

"David lost his life helping others out and wouldn't have had it end any other way," according to a GoFundMe page set up to help raise money for funeral costs. The GoFundMe raised around $100 but was later deactivated by the organizer, Jeff Penland. Seriously, people? Only $100?

“He would be the first one to help anybody,” Moore's childhood friend William “Bill” Penland told KCTV. Because of course he would.

And now, for the moral of the story: Police and Moore's family are urging people to wear their life vests on the water. Seriously, folks, it's not rocket science. Stay safe out there.