Missing man’s body recovered from river

INDEPENDENCE COUNTY, Ark. (KAIT) - The body of a 62-year-old man missing for nearly two weeks has been pulled from the White River.

Independence County Sheriff Shawn Stephens said the body was found about 200 yards downstream from where the man’s UTV went into the water.

The man disappeared on Saturday, March 18, near the White River north of Rosie.

Two days later, his side-by-side was recovered.

“He was crossing a low water bridge. The water was pretty deep running across it. Pretty swift. From what we were told by witnesses, he was swept off that low water bridge,” said Stephens.

The Independence County Sheriff’s Department, the Office of Emergency Management, Southside, and Northside Fire Departments, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission had been searching for him by land and air.

“We have used an air drone. We had our air drone out this morning. We’ve used it. The family has one out here that they’re fixing to launch,” explained Stephens. “We have an underwater drone that we’ve deployed. We’ve used it three times. I found the side-by-side this morning with it.”

Stephens did not release the missing man’s name.

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