Based on the story posted on speedonthewater.com a couple of weeks ago featuring images of North Carolina performance boater Jeff McCann’s accident on Saturday morning during the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in Central Missouri, thousands of people were captivated by the outcome of McCann’s spectacular crash in his Donzi Marine 22 Classic as well as the series of pictures taken by Arkansas performance boater Sam Jirik.

Jeff McCann was lucky to survive this crash at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout—so he’s decided to pay it forward to those who saved his life. Photo courtesy Sam Jirik

While the news that McCann would be leaving the hospital a few days after the Shootout was good, more great news stemming from the accident came about last week when McCann, his wife, Keri, and their friends set up a GoFundMe campaign to benefit the folks who saved his life on Saturday, Aug. 27.

Citing the heroism of Missouri State Highway Patrol Corporal David Echternacht, who was the first person to respond to the accident and put his own life at risk in order to save Jeff’s life, the McCanns decided to focus the countless requests and suggestions they received to set up a fundraiser following the incident on their friend and hero—Cpl. Echternacht.

Read more: McCann Pays it Forward

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Sequence of the Week: McCann’s Close Call on Lake of the Ozarks
Complete Coverage of the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout