Authorities in Greene County have recovered the body of an adult who disappeared in a rescue attempt Monday night in the swimming area of Crowley’s Ridge State Park.
The incident began around 7:52 p.m. when Paragould Emergency Services dispatched deputies to the park following a report of unknown trouble, according to Greene County Sheriff Brad Snyder. During their response, dispatchers identified the situation: a child and an adult had entered the swimming area, which had closed earlier at 6 p.m., according to Arkansas State Parks.
Sheriff Snyder explained that the two were walking near the water before jumping in. While in the water, the child began struggling to stay afloat. "Thankfully, a state park lifeguard was doing a final check after shutdown and heard a young person scream for help," he said. The lifeguard retrieved the juvenile from the water, but during the rescue, the adult who had intervened to assist went under and did not resurface. The child stated that the adult was attempting to help them onto one of the inflatables in the area.
An off-duty sheriff’s deputy who lives near the park responded with a personal boat and used department Livescope equipment to search for the missing individual. However, after several hours, search efforts were halted at 12:20 a.m. due to darkness, limited water visibility, and challenges posed by the approximately 14-foot water depth and inflatables in the area, Snyder said.
The search resumed Tuesday morning with assistance from the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and Arkansas State Parks. By 1:20 p.m., the dive team located the missing adult’s body. The Greene County Coroner’s Office pronounced the person deceased at the scene. The body will be transported to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for an autopsy.
Authorities have not released the victim’s identity, pending confirmation and notification of next of kin.