Searchers found the body of a Missouri man on a sandbar in the Buffalo River near Gilbert on Monday, about 2 miles from where witnesses saw him struggle while swimming in the flooded river Thursday, officials said.
Authorities located the body of Curtis Miller, 22, of Independence, Mo., about 10:40 a.m. Monday, said Buffalo National River spokesman Caven Clark.
Friends said Miller was swimming in the flooded river at Grinder's Ferry between Marshall and Gilbert about 7:45 p.m. Thursday, when he showed "signs of stress" and disappeared in the rapid current.
Heavy rains from the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill flooded the Buffalo River, causing it to rapidly rise from about 7 feet to 15.25 feet by Friday afternoon at the river gauge at St. Joe.
The flood stage there is 27 feet.
Clark said the river at Grinder's Ferry was rated "high" after the rains, but the Buffalo National River did not close accesses.
The river access at Grinder's Ferry was closed during the search, however.
Remnants from the storm -- which hit the Texas Gulf Coast on June 16, then worked its way through Texas and Oklahoma before hitting Northwest Arkansas on Friday -- dumped more than 3 inches of rain in the Buffalo River area.
Jasper recorded 3.68 inches of rain as the storm moved through, according to the National Weather Service in North Little Rock.
Harrison saw 3.42 inches of rainfall, and Marshall reported 3.1 inches.
Teams were limited in the search Friday and Saturday because of the rapid, murky water.
Two boats used sonar equipment, and other searchers combed the riverbanks.
In addition to the National Park Service law enforcement officers; members of the Pindall, Gilbert and St. Joseph volunteer fire departments; the Red Cross; and Newton County's emergency services assisted in the search.
On Sunday, the river receded enough to allow divers to search safely, Clark said.
Spotters found Miller's body lodged on a sandbar as the water continued receding.
Clark said flash flooding damaged many accesses and roads in the National River park.
He said it will take awhile to assess the damage total, however.
"It's going to be a tall order," he said. "It's going to be high."
The river was still swift Monday, but visibility improved. Clark advised swimmers to use caution when in the water.
The National Weather Service said no rain is expected for most of the week, allowing the water to continue receding.
However, a high ridge of pressure from the north will cause temperatures to remain in the lower to mid-90s, said meteorologist Dave Sheibe of North Little Rock.
"We're going to see typical summer weather," he said.
The National Weather Service in Memphis issued a heat advisory for eastern Arkansas, western Tennessee and northwestern Mississippi because heat indexes were expected to climb to 105 to 110 degrees. The advisory was issued for Monday and today.
The heat index is a measure of how hot it feels when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature.
The high pressure is expected to break up later this week, bringing a chance for lower temperatures and a chance of rain, Sheibe said.
State Desk on 06/23/2015