Ralph William Rush

Rush, circa 2019

  • Missing Since 08/19/2019
  • Missing From Mountain Home, Arkansas
  • Classification Lost/Injured Missing
  • Sex Male
  • Race White
  • Age 64 years old
  • Height and Weight 6'4, 190 pounds
  • Associated Vehicle(s) Boogie board (accounted for)
  • Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian male. Gray hair, brown eyes. Rush has a tattoo on his arm. He uses a walker for mobility.

Details of Disappearance

Rush was last seen at Bull Shoals Lake in Mountain Home, Arkansas on August 19, 2019. Some jet-skiers saw him near the middle of the lake channel, holding a boogie board and paddling with his hands. They spoke to him and he seemed to be fine.

At 10:00 a.m., a witness saw Rush using his walker near the edge of the lake near Lakeview Marina; it's unclear whether this happened before or after the boogie board sighting. He has never been heard from again.

Rush's red walker was found in the water by the lakeshore at 12:00 p.m. Nearby, submerged in the water at the edge of the lake, were Rush's cellular phone and his wallet, which contained his driver's license and cash. The authorities were notified of a possible drowning at 12:52 p.m. and began searching for a body. Rush's boogie board was found on the opposite shore from his other things.

A search of the lake turned up no other indication of Rush's whereabouts, but the circumstances suggest he probably drowned. His body has never been found.

Investigating Agency

  • Baxter County Sheriff's Department 870-425-7000

Updated 1 time since October 12, 2004. Last updated October 7, 2020; casefile added.