Share This Article
On June 27, a Baxter County Sheriff’s Office diver recovered a body from a submerged vehicle in Norfork Lake. The vehicle had run off the causeway inside Pigeon Creek park.
The incident began at approximately 12:43 p.m. when the Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call. A woman reported that her son had called her saying his car had gone into the lake and he needed help. The caller provided a general location in the Pigeon Creek area of Norfork Lake on Hwy 201 North, but could not give a precise location.
Sheriff’s Deputies and other emergency responders were dispatched to search for the vehicle, described as a silver Toyota passenger car. Initial searches from the roadway proved unsuccessful, prompting responders to check other access points on Lake Norfork. The Sheriff’s Office deployed a patrol boat to the area, as did Park Rangers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The search expanded to numerous bridges and access points on Norfork Lake, with a continued focus on the Pigeon Creek area. The Sheriff’s Office later launched a helicopter to aid in the search.
At approximately 1:55 p.m., a Park Ranger reported finding vehicle parts or debris near the causeway inside Pigeon Creek park that potentially matched the description of the missing vehicle. Responders in a boat soon confirmed the presence of a vehicle approximately ten feet underwater at that location.
A Sheriff’s Office diver arrived and recovered the body of a male from the submerged vehicle. The victim, identified as 31-year-old Darren M. Martin of Gamaliel, Arkansas, was deceased at the scene. The Baxter County Coroner’s Office was notified.
The search and recovery operation involved thirteen Sheriff’s Deputies and USACE Park Rangers, as well as several volunteer firefighters and rescue personnel.
