Someone apparently found Patrick Cooley's lost backpack, which contained his prosthetic arm.
But Cooley, 56, of Rogers, doesn't think he'll ever get it back.
On March 30, at the end of a seven-day, 60-mile hike, Cooley swam across the swollen Buffalo River to get to his pickup at Woolum campground, about 7 miles southwest of St. Joe in Searcy County.
Midway across the river, fighting strong currents, Cooley let go of the backpack, which floated downstream.
"If I had hung onto everything I wouldn't be here talking to you now," Cooley said in a telephone interview Monday. "I'm a strong swimmer. ... I knew it was very dangerous when I jumped in there. It wasn't one of the best decisions I've made in my life."
A social media campaign ensued to help find Cooley's backpack. Several messages were posted on the My Buffalo River Facebook page.
Last week, someone called the Buffalo National River saying they had found the backpack. But inside the backpack, they also found Cooley's .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol.
"They said they were scared of the gun so they threw it away," said Cooley, referring to the backpack and its contents.
Initially, park rangers thought the call might have been a hoax. The caller wouldn't leave a name or number but mentioned the gun.
Caven Clark, a spokesman for the national park, said he heard the same story.
"All we have is a lost-and-found report, but he didn't mention the gun," Clark said of Cooley.
Cooley said he has a concealed-carry permit. Clark said it's legal to have firearms in the park.
"They had to go through the bag piece by piece to find what they found," said Cooley, who said he believes the finder might have kept the gun and discarded the backpack and other items.
Cooley said it will cost him about $7,000 to buy another prosthetic arm. He had about $1,000 invested in the lost gun, tent and sleeping bag.
"It's not the arm that makes me mad," Cooley said. "It's the gear and it's the gun. I love backpacking. Any man into guns takes his guns pretty seriously."
Clark said the river was near flood stage at Woolum on March 30. He and park Superintendent Kevin Cheri ask visitors not to swim in the river when the water is high because of safety concerns.
If someone finds the backpack, with or without the gun, Clark asks they call the park ranger at the Tyler Bend Visitor Center at (870) 439-2502.
Metro on 04/18/2017