Search crews find drowning victim

Swift water rescue workers from Siloam Springs, Centerton, and Highfill are pictured here searching for the body of Randy Barton, 55, who went under in the Illinois River on Tuesday afternoon and was found on Wednesday around 2:30 p.m.
Swift water rescue workers from Siloam Springs, Centerton, and Highfill are pictured here searching for the body of Randy Barton, 55, who went under in the Illinois River on Tuesday afternoon and was found on Wednesday around 2:30 p.m.

The body of Randy Barton, 55, of Siloam Springs, was pulled out of 15 feet of water in the Illinois River around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Barton's body was found by Tri-County Search and Rescue with assistance from Mennonites Disaster Services and the Benton County Sheriff's Office.

Barton was swimming with his family on the river Tuesday when officials believe he suffered an asthma attack. He was found nearly an eighth of a mile away from where he and his family were swimming, a river access point near the Arkansas 59 Canoe Rental and RV Park.

At least six organizations searched for Barton after he went under water around 2 p.m. Tuesday. Fire departments and emergency medical technicians from Siloam Springs, Centerton, Highfill, Gallatin, and Westville, Okla., joined the Sheriff's Office in the recovery effort.

"We were setting up the tent and I heard them screaming for help," said Jeremie Grant, who was camping by the river during the incident. "When I went down there, they said their uncle had went under and I never did see him after that, so I called 911."

A search started immediately when first responders arrived but turned into a recovery effort around 5 p.m. Tuesday, said Sheriff's Office Sgt. Mike Lira. Recovery efforts were put on hold around 9 p.m. Tuesday and began again at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Lira said.

Before the first responders arrived another witness borrowed a kayak to go down the river in search of Barton, but the kayak flipped and that person got caught in a small island of brush in the middle of the stream. When the swift-water rescue team arrived they pulled the bearded man who had lost control of the borrowed kayak out of the water. This man was also camping near Grant.

"It is never good if we lose one person drowning. It is bad and this is not the first one this year," said Mike Dixon with Benton County Emergency Management. Dixon said the incident was at least the fifth swift-water rescue or recovery for the season.

Barton wasn't wearing a life jacket when he went under the water. A toxicology report will be done to see if there was alcohol or drug use by Barton, Lira said.

"With a flotation device we would know right where this guy would be and he would be just fine," Dixon said. "And that is with every one of these we do, unfortunately, without fail. If they would just wear a personal flotation device it would have saved their lives in 100 percent of the cases."

General News on 07/05/2015