Three years later, Campbell man still missing after running from police in Big Flats
BIG FLATS, N.Y. (WENY) -- The Campbell man last seen in the Chemung River in Big Flats after running from police on a cold winter night, is still missing three years later.
Jeffery Rumsey was 39-years-old when he went missing. According to a national missing persons database, Rumsey is still officially listed as missing. Today, he would be 42.
The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)
As WENY News reported, police said that Rumsey was wanted on warrants out of New York State, Pennsylvania, and Florida. He was a passenger in a car that police had stopped on Route 352 in Big Flats on February 13th, 2017 around 10:00 p.m. Police say he ran into the woods towards the river near the William T. Smith boat launch, which is located behind the soccer fields. Rumsey was last seen in the Chemung River, and police believe he tried crossing it to the other side.
Police cordoned the area off, and launched a multi-day search for Rumsey. Troopers brought in boats, a dive team, and a helicopter, but Rumsey was never found. According to weather data from the Elmira-Corning Regional Airport, the low was 28 degrees fahrenheit the night he went missing on the 13th.
The caption from the missing persons database:
"Rumsey fled the scene of a traffic stop and ran toward the Chemung River. Troopers observed Rumsey enter the water but were unable to see him exit."
