An Arkansas judge drowned in a lake while on a weekend getaway with family and friends, officials said.
The body of Jeremiah T. Bueker, his Judge for the Northern District of Arkansas County, was recovered from the bottom of Mud Lake in Jefferson County early Sunday morning, the sheriff said in a statement. . he was 48 years old.
He went out alone when the judge was spending time with several relatives and friends during a "recreational" outing over the weekend, officials said.
"After some time passed and no one saw or heard Buker, anxiety started to set in," the sheriff said Sunday. was spotted near Mud Lake, which empties into the Arkansas River just north of Reydell. The judge's family called 911 after they were unable to locate him on Saturday.
Jefferson County delegates launched a large land and water search of Buker, which was later interrupted due to poor visibility. Mud Lake washed up just after sunrise on Sunday and sonar detected the judge's body at the bottom, officials said.
A rescue hook was used to retrieve Buker's body," officials said. "Once the body was recovered, agents and investigators, with the help of family members, determined that it belonged to Buker."
Buker's death was accidental. Although it is being investigated as drowning, his body has been sent to the state coroner for an autopsy, officials said.
Sheriff Lafayette Woods said he hoped the recovery of Buker's body would bring "some sense of closure" to his family and loved ones.
"The emotional devastation they have to feel right now is devastating," said Woods.
Meanwhile, Stuttgart Mayor Norma Strabala said she was "shocked and heartbroken" by Buker's sudden death.
"Jeremy was an important and special person in this community, a good friend, an avid attorney, and served as a judge in the Northern District Court of Arkansas County for nearly ten years." Strabala wrote on Facebook. Buker, who was elected to the jury, was a "passionate outdoorsman" and a "very proud father," Stuttgart city officials told the Arkansas Democratic Gazette.
He was last seen alive Saturday night, officials told the outlet.
"His family spent the weekend at a cabin on his family's property," said Major Gary McClain of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. "They were in [the utility vehicle] and they were going back to the cabin. Apparently it was dusty and they went swimming and they were missing. No one was with him. He was
Relatives said Buker liked to swim.
