FORT SMITH -- Efforts to find an Oklahoma man who was last seen in downtown Fort Smith were set to continue Wednesday, five days after he disappeared, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.
Family members have identified the missing person as U.S. Army veteran Justin Baker, 41, of Roland, Okla., according to multiple area media reports.
Late Tuesday morning, Baker's family started a GoFundMe page titled "Help Find Justin Baker: Support the Search."
"The family of Justin Baker is deeply grateful for the love and support we have received during this difficult time. Justin has been missing since January 24, 2025, and we are doing everything possible to locate him," the GoFundMe page states.
Family members are seeking help from outside the area in the search for Baker, according to the GoFundMe page, and funds raised will support transportation and supplies for volunteers participating in the search and help cover financial commitments such as Baker's mortgage.
"Any support is greatly appreciated to help alleviate some of the financial burden during this trying time," the GoFundMe page states. "The costs of these efforts are significant."
The fundraising goal is $3,500, and $145 had been raised by 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.
VEHICLE WENT INTO RIVER
A vehicle on private property in Oklahoma was driven into the Arkansas River between 3 and 4 a.m. Friday, according to a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The driver and one passenger made it to land, the Highway Patrol reported, and the driver walked for several hours to reach a landowner's residence.
The driver and passenger were interviewed by Oklahoma troopers at the hospital.
"They claimed to have a second passenger that never made it to land," Sarah Stewart, director of media operations for the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, said Tuesday. "The missing individual has not been seen or heard from since the collision.
"The driver and surviving passenger stated that they were all drinking alcohol that day," she said.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol Troop C, Troop W and Troop O personnel have searched the area but have not found the missing person, Stewart said.
Troop W was still searching the water, she said.
DAYS OF SEARCHING
Searchers have scoured the area since Friday from the air, on land and in the water. Officials located the vehicle in the Arkansas River on Sunday morning, according to news reports.
Baker was seen at the Old Town Bar on Garrison Avenue in Fort Smith in the early hours Friday and got a ride home with a man and a woman, according to See Me OKC, an online group that strives to help find missing people in addition to other goals
The vehicle they were in went into the Arkansas River in Muldrow, Okla., near the Paw Paw Cemetery, See Me OKC reported.