At 4:50 pm on Saturday the Lawrence County Dispatch received a call reporting a male subject later identified as Doug Claude had been involved in some sort of boating accident on the Spring River at Imboden, the subject stated there was a second person involved in the accident but the whereabouts of the second person was unknown.
Imboden Volunteer Fire Department, Lawrence County Sheriff’s Dive Team and Arkansas Game and Fish were all notified. An ambulance from Medic One was placed on standby at the scene. Originally the rescue teams were told the boat and second victim were located north of Imboden but after a search over a mile north a second boat was launched and began searching south. Arkansas Game and Fish discovered the boat on an island upside down with the motor detached about a half mile south of the boat launch but no sign of the second male subject.
Search crews continued to search the banks of the river while deputies and the Arkansas State Police continued to interview Doug Claude, the subject gave officers several names but after more questioning admitted the second subject was Sebastian Ervin of Walnut Ridge, Ervin was wanted for outstanding warrants. Doug Claude was arrested and taken to the Lawrence County Jail, Claude was charged with criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, assault on correction employee, destruction of public property, felony possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest and obstructing a governmental operation.
The boat and motor were recovered and returned to the dock, the truck boat and trailer were all towed away by Dail’s Wrecker Service of Ravenden.
After searching for the next couple of hours, law enforcement was notified that Ervin had called someone to pick him up and walked away from the river. According to reports he was in the Jonesboro area uninjured. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigators took statements and said any additional charges will be released sometime next week.
For more information on the Imboden Volunteer Fire Department visit www.imbodenarkansas.com
For more information on the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Dive Team visit www.lawrencecountysheriffsoffice.com .