The man then ran away and jumped into the river, Hess said.
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“It was dark and the area is heavily wooded,” he added. “The rangers checked the area the best they could.”
Dayton and Vandalia police along with a drone also were on scene searching for the man but he was not found, Hess said.
At daybreak, the Dayton Fire Department launched a boat in the river to look for the man. Hess said the area of the water is shallow and in some cases, it was too shallow for the boat to safely navigate.
It is believed the man left the river and fled on foot.
“Several addresses associated with the man were checked, but the man was not at any of these locations,” Hess said.