Intensive search efforts are in place for three men reported missing during a fishing trip in the Mississippi River near Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, as confirmed by the Shelby County Sheriff's Office (SCSO), with operations involving multiple agencies. The search began Tuesday evening after the trio, who were enjoying both fishing and swimming on a sandbar, failed to return, leading to a search that commenced immediately but had to be suspended due to lack of light, with resumption planned for the next day.
According to Action News 5, the missing individuals were last seen south of the boat ramp in the state park, and searches on Tuesday concluded around 10:30 p.m.; officials took the decision to halt operations because it became too dark to carry on safely, with plans to continue as soon as light allows. Teams from Homeland Security, Shelby County Fire, Millington Fire, Tipton County Fire, Memphis Police Harbor Patrol and Aviation, and Tennessee State Parks are part of the large-scale search, utilizing boats, divers, and drones.
A statement obtained by Local Memphis relayed the SCSO's announcement about the incident, specifying that the search operations were set to resume on Wednesday morning, July 23. The search uniquely highlights the unpredictable nature of recreational activities near bodies of water, especially ones as dynamic and potentially perilous as the Mississippi River.
The missing men were last seen around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, and despite the concerted efforts that marshaled a diverse array of search and rescue resources, their whereabouts remained unknown, with the urgency of the situation compounded by the river's vastness and the complexities it introduces to search efforts. FOX13 Memphis notes that the SCSO did not immediately provide a specific time for the search to restart.
