Current River claims life of Tennessee man over holiday weekend

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- A weekend floating trip had a tragic ending for one group when a Dyersburg, Tenn., man drowned while trying to swim across Current River near Van Buren.

At about 3:15 p.m. Saturday, a group, including 26-year-old Eugene Smith, had been floating when they stopped at the Sholte Hole gravel bar, north of Van Buren, said Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Dave Nelson.

Smith was going to swim across the river, climb the bluff and jump into the river, but "when he got on the far side of the river and in the swift current, he began having problems," said Nelson with the patrol's Water Division. "He went under a couple of times and never resurfaced."

A member of Smith's group called authorities, and Trooper Cole Chatman, who had a Missouri Department of Conservation agent riding with him, was not far away.

"(Chatman) was really close to the area; he was able to respond immediately and was on the scene" within minutes, Nelson said.

The conservation agent, he said, contacted National Park Service park rangers, who also arrived on the scene, as did patrol Sgt. Craig Ponder.

The park service rangers and conservation agent held up river traffic as Chatman and Ponder began dragging operations, Nelson said.

Chatman and Ponder continued dragging until patrol Cpl. Terry Richardson and Trooper Logan Monahan, both members of the Water Division's dive team, arrived, Nelson said.

Richardson and Monahan dove for about two hours before recovering Smith's body "just a little downstream … a little below (Sholte Hole) is an eddy, and it's a deeper hole," said Nelson. "That's where they found him."

At this time, Nelson said, it is unknown whether alcohol was involved. "Everybody with him said he could swim, but they did not know to what extent," he said.

Nelson encouraged anyone using Missouri's waterways to "make sure you know the water where you're swimming and be aware of your swimming abilities.

"If you're not a strong swimmer, it's always a good idea to wear a life jacket."

About about 6 p.m. Sunday, the patrol reported, two Jonesboro, Ark., residents escaped serious injuries after their 1985 Marlen runabout experienced a mechanical failure on Current River at Harry's Root, about 12 miles north of Doniphan, Mo.

According to the Highway Patrol report, Justin D. Bland, 29, was operating the boat when the mechanical failure occurred in the swift current, which caused the boat to run into the shoreline.

Bland suffered minor injuries, as did his 20-year-old passenger, Cheyenne A. Hollowell. Neither sought medical treatment.

No injuries or accidents occurred on Wappapello Lake or Clearwater Lake over the extended holiday weekend.

Both lakes, Nelson said, had typical traffic for a July 4 holiday weekend.

While Nelson and Richardson were both busy with the traffic, "we were fortunate" to have no accidents, Nelson said.

"Between the two lakes, we had four (boating while intoxicated arrests)," Nelson said. "The majority of the boats we stopped, where people were drinking alcohol, had designated drivers."

Pertinent address:

Van Buren, MO