SEARCY COUNTY, Ark. – The body of an Independence, Missouri man has been recovered from a river nearly two miles away from where he went missing.
According to park rangers, on Monday around 10:30 a.m., search and rescue crews recovered the body of Curtis Miller, 22, about 1.8 miles downriver from the Grinders Ferry access point located on the Buffalo River, where he reportedly went missing. On the evening of Thursday, June 18, Miller had reportedly been there with a group of friends when he tried to cross the river to get to some bluffs.
Authorities said there were two men, including Miller, who went underwater; however the other man was able to make it out alive. They said the river is typically around five feet deep, but the day Miller went missing, it was believed to be around nine feet deep, and by the following day it had increased to nearly 14 feet deep.
Search and rescue crews used sonar technology to locate Miller. Authorities said drugs and alcohol were not believed to have been factors in this incident.
A memorial fund has been set up for Miller. CLICK HERE to visit the website.