Woman found dead near Poplar Bluff after flood swept car away

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — The search for a missing woman in Butler County ended about 3 p.m. Friday when the body of 44-year-old Concord, Arkansas, resident Ginger S. Myers was found trapped inside her vehicle on County Road 647 near Highway 53, about eight miles south of Poplar Bluff.

“A family member found it after an area resident directed her to the approximate location,” Sheriff Mark Dobbs said.

Myers was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:55 p.m. Friday by Butler County Coroner Jim Akers, with a time of death of 11:30 p.m. Aug. 15.

According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred after the 2001 Lincoln Town Car, driven by Myers, traveled into floodwaters and was swept off the roadway.

Officials with the highway patrol and Butler County Sheriff’s Department searched by air, boat and ground for nearly four days after Myers called 911 about 9:30 p.m. Monday to report she had been swept away

by floodwaters.

Myers apparently was traveling toward Poplar Bluff from the Holcomb, Missouri, area at the time. According to the 911 report, Myers said she was somewhere on Highway 53, which later was determined to be incorrect.

“Unfortunately, it’s what we expected to find, but not anywhere near where we expected to find her,”

Dobbs said.

Dobbs said the vehicle was more than 25 yards from the roadway, hidden under about a foot of water in a shaded area.

It previously was speculated Myers may have driven around the road-closure barriers before the accident, but Dobbs said he does not believe this was the case.

“I think she had gotten confused about her location because she was trying to find an alternate route for Highway 53,” Dobbs said.

It was reported by news sources Myers was found wearing her seat belt, but Dobbs said that was inaccurate.

“I don’t think Myers realized the severity of her situation,” Dobbs said. “It was a very unfortunate accident.”