NATCHEZ — Somewhere in the Mississippi River, a 38-foot Rexhall motor home is continuing the underwater journey it began in late January. Where it is in that journey, however, is unknown.

Natchez police responded to a call about a motor home that had rolled into the Mississippi River from Silver Street early on the morning of Jan. 29. According to the police report filed at the time, when the officer arrived on the scene, the motor home could be seen floating down the river, but the officer lost sight of the vehicle once it passed the Mississippi River bridge.

The U.S. Coast Guard ensures the Mississippi River’s navigability, and was contacted about the incident. USCG Spokesperson Chief Petty Officer John Edwards said Thursday the motor home has not been located or flagged as a navigational hazard.

“We have no reports of it being a navigational hazard,” Edwards said. “It has the potential to be one, but it is not considered one at this point.”

The coast guard spokesman also said vehicle is also not likely to pose a significant environmental hazard.

“It had only about 50 gallons of fuel on board,” Edwards said. “In the scheme of things, 50 gallons of diesel or petrol has a fairly high degradation rate. I don’t know about the integrity of that tank or what might cause a dispersion (of fuel), but if it was sunny that day, it would dissipate very quickly.”

If the motor home is located, the company that insured it would be responsible for its salvage, Edwards said.

The vehicle was parked near Under-the-Hill Saloon at the time it entered the river. According to the police report, the owner, James Gilmore, was preparing to move the motor home when he stepped out to close a door. The vehicle started to roll, and though the owner tried to reenter it and stop the rolling, it was moving too quickly and he was forced to jump away.

The motor home was valued at approximately $250,000.