Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Deputies search Beaver Lake
Bella Vista man reported missing; vehicle found at boat ramp
BENTONVILLE — Benton County Sheriff’s Office deputies spent hours Friday searching Beaver Lake for a missing man.
Edward Holmes, 52, was reported missing by his family at 6:20 p.m. Thursday, according to Mike Kugler, the professional standards officer for the Bella Vista Police Department. The last time anybody saw Holmes in Bella Vista was Thursday morning before he went to work, Kugler said.
The department issued a “Be On the Look Out” for Holmes and tracked down his car by pinging his cellphone, which led the Benton County Sheriff’s Office to the vehicle near the boat ramp on Arkansas 12 in the Prairie Creek area near Rogers.
Kugler said the department doesn’t yet know why he is missing or why his car was at the lake.
“It’s very out of the ordinary him not calling or having no contact,” Kugler said.
Sgt. Shannon Jenkins, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office, said they assisted Bella Vista by doing land and water searches.
“We located the vehicle, but not Mr. Holmes,” Jenkins said.
A police dog was used in the land search, and the Sheriff’s Office used its boat with sonar in the water search. A representative with the Benton County Fire Marshal’s office and Hickory Creek Fire Department searched in another boat.
The Sheriff’s Office also used its helicopter to search the area from above.
Holmes’ family members also came to the scene.
“All we have at this point is that this person cannot be located,” Jenkins said. “We are doing everything possible to assist Bella Vista in finding Mr. Holmes.”
The search was continuing Friday evening.
Jenkins said they were going to continue the search until they believe they have sufficiently covered the area.
“We are going to keep searching,” Jenkins said. “There’s a good possibility that we will be searching Saturday.”