August 18, 2017
By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph –
A float trip down an area river in Western Oklahoma ended with a sheriff department rescue and the help of a FarmRail employee.
A group of people floating down the North Fork of the Red River who missed their rendezvous caused local law enforcement to go searching for them during a heavy thunderstorm recently.
The seven individuals originally from out of state, but only recently became Sayre residents, were eventually located with the help of a FarmRail vehicle. Officials say the search began after the group lost contact with others that had agreed to pick them up at a certain time and place.
Beckham County Sheriff Derek Manning says his office was contacted by the Sayre Police about 10:30 Sunday night. Manning says the group had entered the river earlier that night about 6 pm at Starvation Creek and were going to rendezvous down river at the bridge on US 283, just south of downtown Sayre.
They never showed up. The last contact with anyone from the group was by cell phone shortly after 9 pm when they indicated they may be lost.
Deputies spread out trying to make entry to the river along different points. Sayre police officers stationed themselves on the river bridge in case they made it there.
Manning says the group was eventually located when a Beckham County deputy got in a vehicle with a FarmRail employee, Jon Rippetoe and headed out along the rail tracks to the railroad bridge. That’s where five members of the missing group were heard shouting for help.
The other two individuals were located just after midnight.
The sheriff says everyone was a little wet and chilled, but no one was injured.
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