Arkansas man found dead suspended upside down from tree, authorities say

The death of a missing Horseshoe Bend man found suspended upside down in a tree Sunday in rural Baxter County is considered accidental, according to the sheriff's office.

In a news release, the Baxter County sheriff’s office said Weldon G. Speirs II, 27, is believed to have died after his foot became tightly lodged in a crevice of a large cedar tree, making it impossible for him to free himself.

A family member found his body Sunday morning in a wooded area near Wild Fern Lane, which borders Baxter and Izard counties off Arkansas 5 South, according to authorities.

The discovery of Speirs’ body came after family reported him missing Friday to the Izard County sheriff’s office and Saturday to the Baxter County sheriff’s office.

He had traveled to the area to visit a friend at an address on Wild Fern Lane, where his vehicle was still parked, the news release states.

Baxter County officials said it was not immediately clear why he had gone into the wooded area.

Speirs' body has been sent to the state Crime Laboratory for an autopsy, and an investigation is ongoing pending those results, the Baxter County sheriff's office said.

Additional information from the Baxter County sheriff's office was not available Tuesday afternoon.

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