Body of missing Arkansas judge found in lake after going missing on family vacation
Death of Jeremiah T Bueker at Mud Lake being investigated as an accidental drowning
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An Arkansas judge accidentally drowned after disappearing during a family vacation, authorities say.
The body of Arkansas County Northern District Judge Jeremiah T Bueker, 48, was located at the bottom of Mud Lake, 120 miles east of Little Rock, on Sunday morning, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Mr Bueker had been vacationing in the area with family and friends when he “ventured off alone” on Saturday evening, according to the sheriff’s office.
Family and friends began searching for him around Mud Lake, which flows into the Arkansas River at Reydell. His family called 911 when they couldn’t find any sign of the judge.
Sheriff’s deputies joined officers from the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission as they conducting an extensive land and water search along the “length and breadth” of Mud Lake using boats with specialist sonar equipment.
The search was called off after midnight due to poor visibility, before resuming on Sunday morning.
At around 9.15am, a side-scan sonar that provides a birds-eye view of the water detected a body on the bottom of the lake, Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr said.
Using recovery rescue hooks, they recovered Mr Bueker’s body. It was positively identified by family members.
“I truly pray that the successful recovery of Judge Bueker’s body... brings some sense of closure to the Bueker Family and those who knew him best,” Sheriff Woods said.
“The scour of emotions they must feel right now is devastating.”
The death is being investigated as an accidental drowning, the sheriff said.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments