Summer brings longer days and warmer weather, making it the busiest season of the year for travel. As outdoor activities and vacations increase, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office wants to remind you to use extra caution behind the wheel this summer.
If you plan on traveling during the summer, always follow traffic laws, never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and be mindful of your surroundings.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has the following tips on summer driving:
Always check for children running and playing behind your vehicle before your back out of a driveway or parking spot. Check your vehicle's air conditioning performance and for any recalls issued - service your vehicle before traveling if needed. Inspect your vehicle's tires, cooling system, fluid level, batteries, lights, wiper blades, and floor mats - service your vehicle before traveling if needed. Ensure that everyone in your vehicle is buckled up in age-and-size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, or seat belts, and ensure they are installed correctly. Remember that all children under age 13 should always ride correctly buckled in the back seat of a car. Never leave children alone in a vehicle - not even for a few minutes! Put together an emergency roadside kit and pack it in an accessible location in your vehicle.
For more information on summer driving safety, please visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Travel safely and enjoy your summer!
Sheriff Neal Thomas
MONTGOMERY COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE
PRESS RELEASE
Monday, July 22, 2019
Explanation of technology being utilized during the search.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is utilizing the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual Drone with FLIR MSX Thermal imaging to search shorelines and lake surfaces.
Benton County Search and Rescue Team is utilizing the Marine Sonic Technology Arc Tow Fish Sonar tow behind system utilizing side-scan system providing real time video of underwater search area. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission continues to operate the system while Benton County Search and Rescue Team take necessary breaks.
Pope County OEM coordinator provided the Video Ray Pro 4 ROV with high def camera, blue view sonar system with multi beam sonar providing live view of underwater search area. This system is being operated by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
At approximately 2:00 p.m. this date, recovery operations were scaled back in the search at Lake Ouachita in the Mountain Harbor area for missing Grant County Deputy Keith Wright. Operations will continue on a daily basis on a smaller scale by available personnel. Operations will be reinstated on a larger scale if additional information on his location becomes available.
Montgomery County Sheriff David E. White and Grant County Sheriff Ray Vance wish to extend their appreciation to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and all assisting agencies, officers and volunteers for their tireless efforts to locate Deputy Wright. Special thanks to Ricky and Debbie Lee with Subway, Bill Barnes and the entire Mountain Harbor Resort staff and Ocean Extreme for the immeasurable support provided throughout the operations.
Any additional developments in the search will be provided as they occur.
The missing man on Lake Ouachita has been identified as Grand County Deputy Keith Wright. Deputy Wright was a Pine Bluff Police Officer and a Pulaski County Deputy before being hired as a grant county deputy. He has been a SWAT officer and filled many roles in his law enforcement career. he also taught diving lessons in his off time.
Today many agencies have come from all over the state to help with the search. These agencies include the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Grant County Sheriff's Office, Pulaski County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, U.S. Army Corp of engineers, Mt. Ida-Southfork VFD, Joplin VFD, Carrol County SAR, Johnson County SAR, and the Arkansas State Police. Mountain Harbor Resort has helped and devoted several resources to the search. Several boats with SONAR and other equipment have been used in the search. Helicopters and Drones have also been used. Grant County Sheriff Ray Vance and Sheriff David White would like to thank everyone for assisting in the search.
On Friday, July 19, 2019 at approximately 9:49 pm., the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office received a call from an individual who stated that he was boating with a friend. He and the friend dove off of their party barge near a cove just North of Mountain Harbor Resort. When they came up, the boat was drifting North away from the two men. Both men began to swim towards the boat. It was during this time that the caller lost contact with the friend. The caller then swam to a shoreline and started hollering for help. Eventually, a boat came and rescued him and at that time he called the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office to report the incident.
The Montgomery County Sheriffs Office, the Arkansas Game and Fish, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Rangers, the Joplin VFD, and the Mt. Ida-South Fork VFD responded to the call. Several boats went to the area and searched the area, but the other individual was not located. The boat was found at the back of a cove with the engine still running with the gear shift in neutral. It is suspected that the wind blew the boat away from the two men.
Search and Rescue operations are going to continue throughout the day if necessary. Sheriff White would like to thank all the agencies and Mountain Harbor Resort for assisting in the search.