A crowd of unruly bill-dodging diners nearly drowned a twenty year-old waitress in Missouri who tried to get them to pay their bill.
Lianha Bertels was forced to swim to safety to survive the encounter, which left her in a traumatized, sobbing state. It took her ten minutes to get back on dry land from where she landed in the lake.
The incident happened on Friday, June 28th, after a party of seven feasted richly at Camdenton’s Fish and Company Restaurant. Bertels was their server, and when the group deliberately left the bill unpaid—apparently because they weren’t able to get one of the drinks they wanted—Bertels gave chase. The single mother followed the thieves down the dock on the front of the restaurant. When she reached the expensive boat that they miscreants had brought to the restaurant, she was grabbed, and dragged, and thrown into the water. The group made good their escape, but one of their number apparently and second thoughts and is said to now be cooperating with law enforcement.
Bertels told local news outlet KY3 that when she hit the water, the little mob started laughing and cheering, making her feel humiliated. She found herself bawling as she tread water, and couldn’t figure out what to do with herself. She eventually managed to haul herself out of the water. Surveillance video of the evening recorded the assault, and also recorded Bertels conscientiously attending to the every whim of the diners who later pitched her overboard.
None of the suspects have yet been named by officials from the Camden County Sheriff’s Office. However, one of their number contacted the department on his own initiative to assist with the investigation. His picture has been released, but his name is currently being kept private. Police have revealed that despite his membership in the party, he is not believed to be responsible for either in the theft of the assault.
