Found Deceased AR - Rodney Letterman, 33, Devil's Den, West Fork, 28 Aug 2017

[Gardener1850]

[h=1]Crews search for missing hiker at Devil's Den[/h]

Arkansas State Park officials said they’ve located the man’s cellphone, and are searching for other clues to track his route.
They said he doesn’t have a pack, but his hiking partner said he had water.

The man is between 28 and 32 years old and is from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
He was hiking Butterfield Trail with a friend when they go separated.

According to officials, the man’s friend went back to the car because he “felt fatigued and needed medication.” When he returned to the trail, his partner was gone.

http://www.4029tv.com/article/hiker-missing-at-devils-den/12106424

 

[Gardener1850]

Rodney Letterman, age 33 of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, was last seen hiking on Butterfield Trail with a friend Sunday afternoon, when they were separated.
Arkansas State Park officials said they’ve located the cellphone belonging to Letterman, and are searching for other clues to track his route.

The Parks Assistant Superintendent said the densely wooded area and interconnected trails are two challenges that make it difficult to find people who get lost.

Washington, Madison and Sebastian emergency management crews have set up a command center off Highway 74 to coordinate their efforts.

Rodney Letterman 6'0" and weights 240 pounds.

http://www.4029tv.com/article/hiker-missing-at-devils-den/12106424

 

[Elainera]

Butterfield Hiking Trail is a 14.6 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near West Fork, Arkansas that features a lake and is rated as difficult.

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arkansas/butterfield-hiking-trail

Visitor reviews on this page are interesting. Trails seems to be rocky and difficult at times, loose rocks, fallen trees, lots of spiders, etc. I hope he didn't get hurt. How did he lose his phone?

Weather is warm, in the 80 somewhere. You definitely need enough water, I hope Rodney had enough with him. One visitor said in the beginning of August the park ranger advised not to count on the creeks having water. I don't know if that has changed by now.

 

[Gardener1850]

http://5newsonline.com/2017/08/28/rescue-crews-search-for-missing-hiker-in-devils-den-state-park/

 

[Elainera]

His hiking partner told authorities that he doesn't have a pack but did have about 1.5 liters of water

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/...tate-park-arkansas-enters-3r/?f=news-arkansas

Oh dear that won't be enough! In the reviews on the page I linked previously one guy said he drank 7 liters in one day on that trail. I hope Rodney found water.

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

his phone being found spells BIG trouble IMO.

 

[Elainera]

Tropical Storm Harvey is forecast to pass through south Arkansas on Thursday although it likely will not reach that far north.

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/aug/29/forecast-harvey-brings-threat-heavy-rain-flash-flo/

 

[Gardener1850]

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/...tate-park-arkansas-enters-3r/?f=news-arkansas

Oh dear that won't be enough! In the reviews on the page I linked previously one guy said he drank 7 liters in one day on that trail. I hope Rodney found water.

There was an 18 year old kid (Austin Bohanan) who recently survived 11 days in the TN mountains by refilling his water bottle in streams. It is good news that Rodney at least has a water bottle. Hopefully he can find a spring to refill it. I'm concerned that he wandered off without his pack or phone, however.

 

[Elainera]

his phone being found spells BIG trouble IMO.

Yes very worrying. I wonder where they found it. Just lying on the trail as if he lost it, or in some brush or down a slope as if he fell? But if he fell where they found the phone they would've found him too there, right?

What was he wearing? Hopefully something colorful. Is he an experienced hiker?

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

wonder if the man he was hiking with was not a regular hiker as that man allegedly had to go back to retrieve medication. Did Rodney wait there in one spot while his partner went back, thinking he would re-join him and they would continue? How far was the walk back to the car? Where was his phone found. Was it working, charged? Anything of interest on it?

I hope Rodney's hiking partner was able to give more information than has been reported because I have a lot of questions...

I hope he is found safe, soon!

 

[Gardener1850]

I'm confused about the friend going back for medication. Was the friend the one feeling sick or was it Rodney? The first article I thought it was the friend who felt ill but this says:

Letterman has a medical condition. Letterman and a friend were hiking the Butterfield trail when the other person went back to the car to get medical supplies Letterman. However, he was nowhere to be found when the other hiker returned.

http://5newsonline.com/2017/08/28/rescue-crews-search-for-missing-hiker-in-devils-den-state-park/

I think there is a word missing in the quote but this makes me think the medical supplies were FOR Rodney. :scared:

 

[perfectingpink]

I'm confused about the friend going back for medication. Was the friend the one feeling sick or was it Rodney? The first article I thought it was the friend who felt ill but this says:

http://5newsonline.com/2017/08/28/rescue-crews-search-for-missing-hiker-in-devils-den-state-park/

I think there is a word missing in the quote but this makes me think the medical supplies were FOR Rodney. :scared:

To me, it makes more sense the friend went back for medication for Rodney. It would be good to know what the med was for and if Rodney has a medical condition that could lead to him becoming disoriented.

 

[Elainera]

I'm confused about the friend going back for medication. Was the friend the one feeling sick or was it Rodney? The first article I thought it was the friend who felt ill but this says:

http://5newsonline.com/2017/08/28/rescue-crews-search-for-missing-hiker-in-devils-den-state-park/

I think there is a word missing in the quote but this makes me think the medical supplies were FOR Rodney. :scared:

To me, it makes more sense the friend went back for medication for Rodney. It would be good to know what the med was for and if Rodney has a medical condition that could lead to him becoming disoriented.

Yes it does sound like the meds were for Rodney. Why did the friend go back to get them? Was Rodney not able to walk back at that point, had to lie down or something? What kind of medical condition does he have?

This changes the situation. Seems this could be very dangerous if these are the kind of meds you have to take daily and shouldn't miss a dose.

But maybe it was just something like pain meds for an old back injury that was flaring up while they were hiking.

:thinking:

 

[Gardener1850]

Arkansas State Parks officials say Rodney Letterman, 33, of Bartlesville was hiking with friends this past weekend when a friend walked away from Letterman to go get the missing hiker's blood pressure medicine. When he returned to Letterman, he was gone.

The search for him began Sunday mid-evening and continues Tuesday with little success.
"Several agencies have joined the search," said Arkansas State Parks superintendent Tim Scott said. "We have about 60 people at a time searching Devil’s Den Park, which is about 2,000 acres of land within the U.S. National Forest there which is 64,000 acres. It’s been a 24-hour search to this point, searching around the clock."

http://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/bartlesville-man-missing-after-hiking-in-arkansas-over-weekend

BBM. It was blood pressure medicine. Not good that he wandered off without it.

 

[ms_x_to_the_m]

Oh wow. I do hope he is found safe. I wonder if maybe he felt a little better and tried to follow his friend.

Sent from my Life One X2 using Tapatalk

 

[MelmothTheLost]

http://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/bartlesville-man-missing-after-hiking-in-arkansas-over-weekend

BBM. It was blood pressure medicine. Not good that he wandered off without it.

I don't know anything very much about BP medication, but isn't it usually controlled by a dose of medication once or twice a day? I'm wondering how serious his condition was that not actually having the medication on him was so significant.

Should he have been hiking at all under those conditions if that is the case?

 

[Elainera]

http://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/bartlesville-man-missing-after-hiking-in-arkansas-over-weekend

BBM. It was blood pressure medicine. Not good that he wandered off without it.

Thank you Gardener. I should have read the article in more detail :blushing:

 

[neesaki]

I don't know anything very much about BP medication, but isn't it usually controlled by a dose of medication once or twice a day? I'm wondering how serious his condition was that not actually having the medication on him was so significant.

Should he have been hiking at all under those conditions if that is the case?

Yes it is. I wonder if he'd forgotten to take it, still it seems odd that missing one dose would cause symptoms so soon. Which makes me wonder if he may have had something else going on. I wonder how much time lapsed , I don't remember reading how long the friend was gone.

 

[Elainera]

I don't know anything very much about BP medication, but isn't it usually controlled by a dose of medication once or twice a day? I'm wondering how serious his condition was that not actually having the medication on him was so significant.

Should he have been hiking at all under those conditions if that is the case?

My mom is on BP meds and has to take them twice daily.

Maybe he realized that he had forgotten to take his morning dose so it was important that he'll take it immediately and not wait until after the hike.

Or they planned to camp overnight?

 

[neesaki]

After reading these other reports it sounds as though it was the friend who returned to the car for medication for himself.

The man's friend told officials he went back to the car because he felt fatigued and needed medication. When he returned, his partner was gone.

http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2017/aug/29/search-continues-for-missing-devil-s-de/?latest

[FONT=&amp]Letterman was reportedly hiking with another man, who went back to his car to retrieve medication. [/FONT]

http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/aug/29/search-missing-hiker-state-park-arkansas-enters-3r/

He went back to the car to rest, my goodness, how long did that take?

Officials tell KHOG the friend went back to the car to rest and get medicine but could not find Letterman when he returned to the trail.

http://katv.com/news/local/missing-hiker-last-seen-at-devils-den-identified