LANGLEY, Ark. — The search for nearly two dozen people who disappeared after killer flash floods swept through a popular campground went from desperate to grim yesterday after teams that scoured miles of river and rugged wilderness found just two bodies.
The predawn surge of water at the Albert Pike Recreation area Friday left 18 people dead, including six children.
The last time someone was found alive was hours after the racing waters swept through the site.
As the swollen rivers subsided and the hours ticked by yesterday, anguished relatives waiting for word of loved ones grew more frustrated.
“They’re just devastated. The time for shock has probably, gone and now it’s just anxiety building. They’re beginning to fear the worst,” said Graig Cowart, the pastor of the Pilgrim Rest Landmark Missionary Baptist Church.
Among those killed were five people, including three children from Gloster, La., as well as three others from that state, and six from Texas. State police said last night that there were 22 people missing.
Leslie Jez, a 23-year-old mother and wife from Foreman, Ark., did not escape the raging waters, while her husband, Adam Jez, was listed as among the survivors.
“So ready to go camping this weekend,” she wrote on her Facebook page Monday. “Kaden is going to love it!!”
She later added, “Not looking forward to that cold water, but sounds like I might change my mind after seeing how hot it’s supposed to be.”
Authorities haven’t said whether the child survived.