Camp Albert Pike Campground Flooding: Police confident girl's body is last flood victim

7:36 PM, Jun 14, 2010   |    comments
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The picturesque, mountainous remote terrain of the Ouachita National Forest that draws campers is making looking for them a literal uphill battle.

"It's very rough terrain; in areas where you get out into the woods, it's almost like a jungle," says Henry McCayley, a volunteer searcher.

McCayley and dozens of other volunteers say with the tragedy hitting so close to home, they just couldn't stay home.

"I had to come and try to help any way I could," he said. Day four of the search, people going out are armed with water and radios in teams of three to ten.

Experts say the Little Missouri River is now back down to its typical level after swelling to 23 feet Friday.

The searchers diligence paid off a few hours after later.
A team found the last known missing camper, but not as they'd hoped.

"Approximately 45 minutes ago, we recovered another victim," says Capt. Mike Fletcher with Arkansas State Police.

They found the body of eight-year-old Jadyn Basinger of Gloster, La., at the Little Missouri River in an area dozens had searched before. Her mother and brother survived the flood, but her father and younger sister did not.

The find brings the death count up to 20 - several like Jadyn are kids.

Coordinators have made volunteers aware of the dangers of heat, snakes and other things present near the Albert Pike campground where Friday's flooding cut hundreds of people's vacations tragically short.

In the first two days of searching, rescuers searched the campsite and found 19 bodies.

Fifty miles of river and tributaries have been combed at least twice by search crews, some places three or four times. Forest Service Incident Commander Mike Quesinberry says the terrain has made it impossible to bring in heavy equipment to take apart some of the piles. He says one measured 30 feet high and more than 100 feet long.

Police Capt. Mike Fletcher says some areas are inaccessible due to debris but there are no plans to stop the search.

More funerals are set for the victims of last week's flash flooding at an Arkansas campground.

Services are Tuesday for 23-year-old Leslie Jez and her 3-year-old son, Kaden, at the Foreman Church of Christ. The funeral for Sheri Wade, who is Jez' mother and Kaden's grandmother, is 10 a.m. Thursday at Chapelwood Funeral Home in Texarkana, Texas.

Eric Sultz of Nash, Texas; also died while camping with Wade and her family. His funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church in Maud, Texas.

Here is the list of the released names of those who have died during the flash flooding:

Anthony Smith, 30 years of age, Gloster, LA
Katelynn Smith, 2 years of age, Gloster, LA
Joey Smith, 5 years of age, Gloster, LA
Shane Basinger, 34 years of age, Gloster, LA
Kinsey Basinger, 6 years of age, Gloster, LA

Jadyn Basinger, 8 years of age, Gloster, LA
Robert Lee Shumake, 68 years of age, DeKalb, TX
Nic Shumake, 7 years of age, DeKalb, TX
Sheri Wade, 46 years of age, Ashdown, AR
Eric Schultz, 38 years of age, Nash, TX
Bruce Roeder, 51 years of age, Luling, LA

Kay Roeder, 69 years of age, Luling, LA
Debbie Roeder, 52 years of age, Luling, LA
Gayble Y. Moss, 7 years of age, Texarkana, TX
Kylee Sullivan, 6 years of age, Texarkana, TX
Leslie Jez, 23 years of age, Foreman, AR
Kaden Jez, 3 years of age, Foreman, AR
Debra McMasters, 43 years of age, Springhill, AR
Julie Freeman, 53 years of age, Texarkana, TX

(The Associated Press & The Governor's Office)