A Missouri waitress says she was attacked and thrown into a lake after approaching customers about paying their bill at a restaurant.
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Liahna Bertels was working her shift last Friday at the Fish and Company Restaurant when she attempted to ensure that the group paid their bill, which led to the confrontation. According to WFAB, the customers reportedly became agitated when their food took longer than expected, and one of them was denied a drink because they didn’t have proper identification. Despite offering to pack their food in to-go boxes, the group left without paying their $150 bill after placing their order.
Surveillance footage showed the group leaving and heading down the dock towards a boat. Bertels followed them to remind them about the unpaid bill, but the situation escalated when they grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the Lake of the Ozarks before speeding away. “When I hit the water, they started laughing and cheering, which really hurt,” Bertels said.
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Fish and Company General Manager Sean Dolven stated that the restaurant has enforced new procedures in response to the incident.
“We’ve now decided that if you’re going to chase someone down, let somebody know and take someone with you. That way, there’s someone there to witness what’s happening, as cameras don’t always capture everything.”
After being in the water for 10 minutes, Bertels could pull herself onto a swim platform on a docked boat. The Camden County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident. Still, no one from the surveillance video was identified, and officers believe the group might have been from out of state.
