Sacramento River Search Underway For Homeless Man

RED BLUFF, Calif. (AP) -- Authorities are searching the Sacramento River near Red Bluff for a man who disappeared from a homeless camp.

Tehama County Sheriff Dave Hencratt says the man, 36-year-old Phillip Paul Rice, was last seen about 25 feet from shore around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Rice and two others were rescued by a state police helicopter on Sunday when rising waters threatened their island camp on a slough connected to the Sacramento River.

Rice returned Wednesday evening to look for dogs that had been left behind and became stranded. He was spotted in the water, but was gone when a sheriff's boat and the helicopter arrived.

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