Waitress almost drowns after being dragged into Lake of the Ozarks by dine-and-dash customers who refused to pay and then fled on luxurious boat

A waitress nearly drowned after being dragged into a lake by a group of rowdy patrons.

Liahna Bertels, 20, was forced to swim out of Lake Missouri, crying and traumatized by the encounter. It took her 10 minutes to get back to shore, she said.

It happened Friday after the party of seven had enjoyed a lavish dinner served by the waitress at the Fish and Company Restaurant in Camdenton.

But when they left, the group deliberately left the bill behind, apparently annoyed that one of them couldn’t order a drink.

This prompted the single mother to give chase, across the dock in front of the restaurant. When she reached the thieves’ lavish boat, she was dragged into the lake. The group managed to escape, but one of the participants is now apparently cooperating with the police.

It happened Friday after the party of seven enjoyed a lavish meal served by the waitress at the Fish and Company Restaurant in Camdenton

‘[When] “I hit the water and they decided to laugh and cheer, which really hurt,” Bertels said KY3.

“And I was lying in the water crying and screaming and I didn’t know what to do.”

Eventually, the mother of one was able to drag herself out. A security camera not only captured the group leaving the building, but also them sitting at their outdoor table, while the waitress attended to their every need.

As of this writing, the Camden County Sheriff’s Office has not released any of the names, but one of them did contact the department during the investigation.

The man has been photographed but not identified. Officers provided some insight into his involvement in the case – and revealed that despite being wanted as a member of the pontoon boat group, he was not a suspect.

“The subject in the photo has contacted our office and is cooperating with our investigation. At this time, we do not believe he is a suspect in this case.

“The investigation continues as officers and detectives investigate leads,” Tuesday’s statement said.

The image shows that another woman is being sought as a member of the party. At the time of writing, she is still at large.

But when they left, the group deliberately left their bill behind, apparently annoyed that one of them couldn’t place a drinks order

This prompted the single mother to give chase, via the jetty in front of the restaurant

When she reached the thieves’ lavish boat, she was dragged into the lake. She eventually managed to pull herself out, but the group managed to escape

One of the participants – the man on the left – is now apparently cooperating with police, who say he is not considered a suspect. The woman on his right was also wanted but has not been found as of Thursday, police said.

CCTV footage shows the group leaving the restaurant via the quay, some of them even dancing.

As they walk to their boat, Bertels, who has a three-year-old child at home, can be seen rushing to keep up with them.

When she did, she reminded them that they hadn’t paid, and they grabbed her by the wrist, pulled her into the water and sped away, she said.

This is not shown in the clip because they were too far away, but after about ten minutes a soaked Bertels can be seen slowly walking back to a safe place.

She later stated that the incident arose when she refused to serve a drink to one of the women because she did not have valid ID on her, leading to anger before the women ordered their food.

Within half an hour they had placed their order, apparently with the intention of not paying.

“We’re at the point now where if you want to chase someone, you have to let someone know you’re going down and take someone with you,” Fish and Company General Manager Sean Dolven said of the changes they’ve made since the incident, which is still under investigation.

“We’ve gotten to the point now where if you want to chase someone, you have to let someone know you’re going down and take someone with you,” said Fish and Company General Manager Sean Dolven (pictured right with Bertels), of the changes they’ve made since the incident.

Bertels said the incident left her in tears, after she had to tread water for more than ten minutes

Meanwhile, officers are treating it as a crime, despite the dangers the single mother may have faced. Pictured is the restaurant and jetty where the altercation took place

They have expressed belief that the suspects are from out of state, but are still looking for more leads. Bertels is seen here on the left with a friend

All of this was done for about $150, both employees said, adding that the local sheriff’s office had trouble recognizing some of the faces in the videos.

Of the two people who appear to have been identified, one is still being sought. It is believed that the other was not one of those who downloaded the server.

Meanwhile, officers are treating the case as a crime, despite the dangers the single mother may have been exposed to.

They have indicated that the suspects are from out of state, but they are still looking for more leads.