A boating accident on Norfork Lake in Baxter County that resulted in the death of a 74-year-old man Tuesday afternoon is being investigated, according to the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
The accident occurred at Cranfield Marina.
According to a news release, around 3:14 p.m Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Office was notified by the 911 call center about an injured man yelling for help at the marina.
Sheriff deputies dispatched to the scene found the man, Robert Jay Louck, at Dock 4. His pontoon boat had significant damage to the front, side and the interior.
According to the release, EMS personnel conducted life saving measures on Louck. Those actions were unsuccessful and Louck was pronounced dead by the Baxter County coroner.
Around 4:03 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office was informed that a second person was potentially part of the accident and possibly missing.
This was based on a review of security camera footage from the marina that showed the boat depart with two people on board and return around 2:30 p.m. with just one.
A brief search was conducted of the area with a Sheriff’s Office helicopter and other units, but it was discontinued when it was determined that the second person had been dropped off at another location and was safe.
According to the video footage, Louck’s boat slowly circled the marina for 30 minutes before it arrived back at Dock 4, coming to a stop when it struck another boat that was parked.
The boating accident is being investigated by Arkansas Game and Fish Commission officers.