The search for a man who fell into the Arkansas River on Saturday was canceled Sunday. Authorities say they believe the man, who is wanted for a parole violation and is considered violent, got out of the water.
Styron Smith, 31, of Cañon City, was in a raft that flipped, dumping him and four others, including a 1-year-old child in the river near Ash Street in Cañon City, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said.
Emergency workers suspended the search when it got dark and had planned to resume the search Sunday morning. But Smith’s family told authorities early Sunday “that they found some of his clothing that he was wearing at the time of the river accident at their home in Cañon City and believed that he was out of the river and OK,” the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office believes Smith may be avoiding contact with deputies because he’s wanted on a warrant for a parole violation.
Following the accident, deputies, and Cañon City fire crews located two of the people who fell into the water on shore and moments later pulled the child and mother from the water.
During the search, deputies determined Smith was wanted for violating his parole. He had been imprisoned in Colorado for assault and was considered violent, the sheriff’s office said.
Styron Smith is 5-foot-8-inches tall, 150 pounds, and has black hair, brown eyes and dark skin.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts, should call City of Florence police at 719-784-3411, and press 1.
