Missouri man dies after collapsing at Buffalo River, officials say

The Sentinel-Record/Corbet Deary THE BUFFALO: Tyler Bend Recreation Area rests along the banks of the Buffalo River.
The Sentinel-Record/Corbet Deary THE BUFFALO: Tyler Bend Recreation Area rests along the banks of the Buffalo River.

A Missouri man died after collapsing at a national river in northern Arkansas, officials said.

The National Park Service said authorities responded around 6:30 p.m. Thursday to an area of the Buffalo National River on reports that a man had been struggling to breathe.

Park rangers and Newton County deputies arrived to find 66-year-old James Long of Springfield, Mo. unresponsive, the Park Service said.

He died after emergency crews brought him to a hospital, the agency said.

Long had been recreating at the Buffalo River and had collapsed while walking back to his vehicle, officials said in a statement Friday.

"The National Park Service appreciates the efforts made by everyone involved and offers our deepest condolences to the family," the statement read.

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