The storms that struck southwest Missouri on Friday and Saturday (May 31 and June 1) sent rivers over their banks and forced several campground closings, the Springfield News-Leader reported.
In Christian County, a couple who had been staying in a cabin near the Finley River were trapped by the rising waters and called the sheriff’s office about 9:45 a.m. Saturday. The sheriff, Joey Kyle, said the couple and a 2-year-old girl weren’t in immediate danger but couldn’t get out.
“They let the water get up on them,” Kyle said.
About eight canoeists were also in the private camping area in the 1400 block of Reed Road north of Sparta. Kyle said they didn’t have life jackets or fast-water training.
“These people think they’re smart and they can handle it,” Kyle said. “All they needed to do was be prudent instead of staying.”
The National Park Service said flooding of the Jacks Fork and Current rivers has caused several areas and the rivers to be closed.
Closed campgrounds include all primitive campsites along the Jacks Fork, the Alley Spring campground, Bay Creek campground, Shawnee Creek campground, Powder Mill campground and Big Spring campground.
These campgrounds are expected to remain closed through Tuesday. Pulltite and Round Spring Campgrounds are expected to remain open. Campers were evacuated from these areas on Saturday morning.
Rangers assisted several people in evacuating riverside campsites and helped Missouri Highway Patrol Water Patrol officers in a rescue outside the park.
