The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office has taken a man into custody after a float trip resulted in an overnight search of the Platte River.

Sheriff Bill Puett said around 10:30 p.m. Monday deputies responded to the area of East/Saxton road at the Platte River after a man reported that he had been rafting with a friend down the river and had not seen his friend in over an hour. Puett said the man feared his friend may have drowned.

“They had bought two rafts and were floating down the river from Mitchell road,” Puett said. “One of the rafts had sprung a leak and that individual got out and he was the one waiting for his friend.”

Deputies searched the Platte River as well as roadways in the area throughout the night. Puett said around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday the missing man, identified as Eugene Shaw, 45 of Kansas City was found near SE 85th Road and 36 Highway. Puett said authorities determined Shaw had hid from authorities all night due to an outstanding parole violation warrant. Shaw was taken into custody and is currently being held in the Buchanan County Jail.

“For an individual who is just not wanting to go back to jail for an outstanding warrant that is completely out of bounds. He put a lot of people at risk. Also, all of those resources are then diverted for other calls for service for things we might need them for,” Puett said. “We respond in force when there’s a water rescue and things like that. When people that do things like this, I think it’s really disheartening.”

Puett said the sheriff’s office was assisted in the search by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, The Missouri Department of Conservation, South-Central Buchanan County Fire, San Antonio Fire, St. Joseph Fire, and Gower Fire.