Crime & Safety

Philip Schwalm of Kirkwood Drowns in Meramec River

Authorities identified the man who drowned Thursday in the Meramec River as Philip M. Schwalm, 21, of Kirkwood.

Philip M. Schwalm, a 21-year-old from Kirkwood, is the man who drowned in the Meramec River Thursday.

The Missouri Water Patrol identified Schwalm Friday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Authorities said Schwalm had been drinking alcohol with three friends—also from Kirkwood—before he entered the Meramec River in Castlewood State Park in Ballwin.

When Schwalm's friends discovered he was missing, they searched for about an hour and called emergency crews around 4 p.m. 

Find out what's happening in Kirkwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Emergency crews used boats, divers and dogs to search for Schwalm, and the search intensified when a , according to Fox2now. Crews used sonar to locate the body.

Schwalm died in gently moving water nine feet deep near where Kiefer Creek and the Meramec River come to a bend, according to the Post-Dispatch.

Find out what's happening in Kirkwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The water was between 60 and 65 degrees, which could cause a person to develop hypothermia in 30 minutes.

For more, check out Patch's previous coverage of last summer.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Kirkwood