39-year-old slips in Arkansas river and vanishes after being swept away, officials say

A search effort is underway for a man who was swept away by a river in Arkansas, officials said.

The incident began when Fidel Angel Salamanca Saravia, a 39-year-old man from El Salvador, walked into the Buffalo River on the afternoon of May 16, according to a National Park Service news release.

While wading into the water — in a section about 10 miles north of Marshall — he stumbled, vanished underneath the current and didn’t resurface, officials said.

The man was not wearing a life jacket at the time, officials said.

About 25 minutes after he disappeared, park rangers arrived at the scene and searched the area using motorized boats.

A dive team was also dispatched and scoured the waters until nightfall.

Multiple other agencies, including nearby fire departments and the North Arkansas Regional Medical Center, assisted.

The search continued on May 17 and 18, a spokesperson for the National Park Service told McClatchy News.

The operation has been deemed a recovery mission, according to KATV, citing local police.

Marshall is about 100 miles north of Little Rock.

This story was originally published May 18, 2023 at 1:22 PM with the headline "39-year-old slips in Arkansas river and vanishes after being swept away, officials say."