In the late summer of 2019, the community of Lakeview, Arkansas, was left with lingering questions surrounding the sudden disappearance of 64-year-old Ralph Wayne Rush. On August 19th, Ralph, who relied on a walker for mobility, was last seen near the shores of Bull Shoals Lake. Earlier in the day, a witness had spotted him with his walker near the Lakeview Marina. Later, two separate witnesses, a pair of jet-skiers, saw him in the water, approximately 100 yards from the bank, using a small boogie board and paddling with his hands. They spoke with him briefly and noted that he did not appear to be in any form of distress at that time. This would be the last known sighting of Ralph.
Concern grew when, around noon, some of Ralph’s personal belongings were discovered abandoned. His red walker was found by the lakeshore, and submerged at the water's edge were his wallet, which still contained his driver's license and cash, along with his cell phone. Searchers were alerted to a possible drowning just before 1:00 p.m. Floating about 40 yards out in the water were a pair of his blue Croc-style shoes and a milk crate that also belonged to him. The search for Ralph began, but there was no immediate sign of him in the vast lake. The boogie board he had been seen with was eventually located, but it was on the opposite shore from where his other possessions were found.
The search efforts by the Baxter County Sheriff's Office unfortunately did not lead to Ralph's discovery, and his whereabouts remain unknown. The circumstances of his disappearance have led investigators to believe he may have drowned, though his body has never been recovered. The case is a sorrowful mystery, beginning with a man enjoying a day by the water and ending with his personal effects left behind as the only clues. The discovery of his walker, wallet, and phone near the shore, combined with the sighting of him floating on a boogie board without any apparent trouble, creates a perplexing and tragic overview of the day he vanished.
Last Seen: Aug 19, 2019
