Teen drowns trying to save swimmers

VAN BUREN — An 18-year- old man drowned Saturday while trying to save three children from the swift Arkansas River current in which they were swimming.

Crawford County Sheriff Ron Brown said divers with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission found the body of Erik Rene Santiago-Antanio of Fort Smith about 6:15 p. m. Sunday about a halfmile downstream from Lock and Dam 13 at Barling.

The body was found about 100 feet from the spot where witnesses said he went under and didn’t resurface, Brown said.

He said Santiago-Antanio was fishing about 7:30 p.m. Saturday when two 14-yearold girls and a 10-year- old boy who were with him began struggling while swimming against the river current.

Santiago-Antanio went into the river to help them and helped the two girls reach the river bank. Brown said he then went back after the boy.

A second fisherman, whom Brown didn’t identify Monday, saw the rescue and went into the water to help. Brown said as the second fisherman went into the water, he saw Santiago-Antanio go underwater and never resurface. The fisherman swam out to the boy and took him to shore.

The second fisherman’s wife recorded the rescue on her phone, and Brown said searchers used the video to pinpoint the spot where Santiago-Antanio went under to begin the search.