Liahna Bertels remained in the water for approximately 10 minutes.
Settling your bill is expected, but running away and tossing your waitress into a lake? That's beyond rude.
Dining and dashing has unfortunately become a common practice, where certain customers believe they are entitled to receive free food from a restaurant.
If you have been signaled to stop, the appropriate action is to settle your bill promptly.
Nevertheless, compromising your server should never be considered.
Regrettably, a Missouri group appears to have missed the memo, resulting in a traumatised waitress.
Liahna Bertels was allegedly thrown into a lake by a customer. (WAFB9)
Liahna Bertels worked the late-night shift at Fish and Company on the Lake of the Ozarks, in Camdenton, on 28 June when seven individuals arrived for food and drinks.
WAFB stated that tensions escalated after Bertels declined to serve alcohol to a woman without ID. Despite the group proceeding to order their food, they experienced a longer than usual wait.
The server clarified that due to the high volume of orders in the kitchen, the group became agitated and expressed a desire to leave.
Bertels proposed to pack their meals in to-go containers before departing as a compromise.
Prior to settling their bill of approximately $150 (£118), the patrons hurried off.
The group was captured on CCTV as they made their way back to their moored boat.
Following that, Bertels enters the scene as she pursues them with their bill in hand in an attempt to resolve their payment.
She said that was when someone grabbed her wrist and tossed her into the lake.
The waitress told WAFB: “When I hit the water, they decided to start laughing and cheering, which really hurt.
“I was crying and bawling in the water and I didn't know what to do.”
Luckily, she managed to climb onto a boat's swim platform about 10 minutes after the reported attack.
Bertels and her boss explained how the situation went down. (WAFB9)
The Camden County Sheriff's Office is looking into the incident as a minor assault and suspects that the individuals involved are probably not from the state.
On Tuesday (2 July), police shared a picture of a man who came forward to help them.
The man in question is not thought to be a suspect in this case, according to the sheriff's office.
Following the incident, Fish and Company's General Manager, Sean Dolven, has decided to make some adjustments to how his employees manage rushed customers.
He mentioned that they have established a system where if someone needs to pursue another person, they should inform someone else and bring a companion along.
In any case. Having someone present ensures that everything is being monitored, as cameras may not capture everything.
Featured Image Credit: WAFB9
