GRAND LAKE – Two water-related accidents over the Memorial Holiday weekend prompted Grand River Dam Authority to remind lake lovers about water safety.

“Each holiday weekend on the lake is different and, unfortunately, accidents do happen sometimes,” said Justin Alberty, GRDA spokesman.

Jose James-Flores, 42, of Tyler, Texas drowned Saturday in Flint Creek, which is located in southern Delaware County.

The elder James-Flores jumped into the waters to rescue his son, who jumped from the top of Flint Creek Dam.  Both were underwater for five to seven minutes before being rescued by other citizens in the area. The son was revived at the scene and the father was taken to the Siloam Springs Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Troy Young, 48, Bixby, was last seen leaving Cedar Port Marina in a 24-foot Blue Yellowfin boat at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Friday. Young’s boat was recovered near the entrance of Ketchum Cove, approximately 1.5 miles from Cedar Port on Saturday.

GRDA police continue to search for Young, Alberty said on Monday.

With the large crowds that visit the waters on a holiday weekend or even just a normal summer weekend, the overwhelming majority of visitors do experience a safe, memorable outing, he said.

GRDA’s goal is to continue to share boating safety messages and promote those safe outings, while also being present to assist when an accident happens, Alberty said.

GRDA has listed the following “Dos and Don’ts” guidelines for boating.  

• Do wear a life jacket. For those floating the river, children 13 years of age and under are required to always wear a life jacket. On the lake, children 12 years of age and younger are required to wear a life jacket on vessels under 26 feet long. However, GRDA encourages all ages to always wear a life jacket.
• Don’t drink and boat. Alcohol use continues to be the single leading factor contributing to boating accidents.
• Do keep a good lookout while underway.
• Do shut engines off when people are in the water near your boat.
• Do observe the nautical “rules of the road.”
• Do check the weather forecast before getting underway.
• Do keep a balanced load.
• Don’t overload the boat.
• Don’t ride on the gunwale, bow, seatbacks, or any place that is not designated for sitting.
• Don’t swim or boat alone. Stay within sight of companions.
• For those floating the river, do let the commercial float operator know if anyone in the party is a first-time or novice floater(s).
• Don’t dive into the river from bridges, bluffs, stream banks, and trees.
• Do respect the weather and the water. If tired while floating, take a break on the bank or on a gravel bar to rest.

For more information about the GRDA call 918.256.0911. Boaters who need assistance from a boat are encouraged to call 911, or if no cell phone is available, radio the GRDA Police on Marine Band 16.

SEARCY, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — According to a press release, a new program will seek to reduce overdose deaths in Arkansas by getting the overdose reversal drug naloxone into the homes of at-risk Arkansans.

The program, NaloxHome, will provide free naloxone — commonly known by the brand name Narcan — to participating Arkansas hospitals to dispense at discharge from the emergency room to patients or caregivers of patients who have experienced an overdose or are at risk for an overdose. The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement is partnering with the state drug director and the Arkansas Department of Human Services to administer the program.

Administrators and proponents of NaloxHome announced its launch in a news conference Tuesday at Unity Health-White County Medical Center in Searcy. Unity Health is the first hospital to launch the NaloxHome program.

“We know that naloxone saves lives,” said Arkansas Drug Director Kirk Lane. “Our goal is to get the drug into the homes of as many at-risk individuals as possible so fewer of our fellow Arkansans are lost to this epidemic.”

“This program is an important tool for our community in combating the opioid crisis,” said Dr. Roddy Lochala, Chief Medical Officer for Unity Health. “When we release someone from the Unity Health Emergency Department who has been treated for an overdose or is at risk for one, we have the ability to send the person home with a drug that can prevent a future overdose from being fatal. It is important to note that if Naloxone is administered at home it is only the first step in being treated for an overdose. An emergency room should be the immediate next step.”

Overdose deaths in the U.S. increased by nearly 30% in 2020, with more than 92,000 lives lost ― an unprecedented and catastrophic jump from about 71,000 deaths in 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preliminary data from the CDC indicate that overdose deaths reached a new record high of more than 107,000 in 2021, an increase of nearly 15%.

According to ACHI, a major driver of the overdose epidemic is the increasing presence of the synthetic opioid fentanyl in the nation’s illicit drug supply. Fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs or manufactured to look like medications such as OxyContin, Xanax or Adderall; as a result, users often are unaware they are taking fentanyl, or in what strength.

Research shows that patients who have been treated in an emergency room for an overdose are at high risk for another overdose after discharge. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a review of Massachusetts emergency department records and the state’s death records found that among patients treated in an emergency department for an overdose between July 2011 and September 2015, about 1 in 20 died within a year of discharge ― many of them within two days.

Funding for the program is provided by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration through Arkansas DHS. More information is available on ACHI’s website at ACHI.net/NaloxHome.

ACHI is a nonpartisan, independent health policy center that serves as a catalyst for improving the health of all Arkansans through evidence-based research, public issue advocacy, and collaborative program development.