The body of a DeKalb County prisoner who managed to escape from the Moccasin Bend Mental Health Facility Tuesday evening by attempting to swim across the Tennessee River was found Thursday morning about a mile down river.
Dead is 36 year old Waylon Farless
According to WRCB TV, Chattanooga Police spokesman Nathan Hartwig said that officers responded to a “body found” call just after 11:00 a.m. Thursday morning, and were able to confirm the body was that of patient Waylon Farless.
The escape happened around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday evening. Farless had criminal charges out of DeKalb County and was taken to Moccasin Bend for mental health concerns.
Members of Chattanooga search and rescue teams spent nearly a day searching the river near the mental health facility before calling off the search late Wednesday afternoon.
Details of how Farless was able to jump into the river are unknown and still being investigated.
Witnesses told Chattanooga police that they saw the man (Farless) swim about halfway across the river before calling for help, then submerging Tuesday evening.
Farless was on a criminal hold from the DeKalb County Jail.
Farless was arrested by the Sheriff’s Department last Thursday on charges of driving on a revoked license and theft of property. According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, Farless was sent to the Smith County Jail on Friday to be housed for DeKalb County. While there, Farless allegedly tried to harm himself and was taken to the hospital in Carthage. After that incident, Farless was picked up by DeKalb County deputies on Saturday. Farless underwent a mental evaluation and was sent to Moccasin Bend.
Sheriff Ray said Moccasin Bend staff contacted him Tuesday saying they were planning to release Farless back to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department by noon that day. Sheriff Ray said he was notified later that Farless had escaped from the facility and was last seen trying to swim across the river.
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