Young Boy Drowns In Buffalo River

On the afternoon of May 4th, Lori Davenport, her seven-year-old son Will, and a friend were floating the Buffalo River below Erbie when their canoe hit a rock and capsized. The canoe then got pinned under a tree, commonly referred to as a strainer.  Will Davenport was unable to get out of the canoe in time and was trapped. Other canoeists reported the incident to the Newton County Sheriff’s Department, which dispatched emergency personnel. The canoe was eventually released by using a chainsaw. CPR was begun by a ranger and a deputy sheriff.  The young boy was transported to a North Arkansas Regional Medical Center ambulance and later transferred to an AirEvac helicopter. He was pronounced dead at the medical center at 4:55 p.m.  The boy is from Harrison, Arkansas, and is the grandson of the park’s B&U foreman.