A survivalist is issuing a warning for hikers and outdoorsmen in the Ozarks of Arkansas: steer clear of the area.

Shawn Hendrix’s warning comes in the midst of a search for escapee and former Gateway Police Department Chief Grant Hardin, 56. He escaped from a medium-security prison in Calico Rock on Sunday, May 25, as reported by the Arkansas Department of Corrections (ADC). 

Nicknamed the “Devil in the Ozarks,” Hardin was serving decades in prison for murder and rape.

“I believe the main factor that could lead to his capture or demise in the wild is getting injured or contracting a foodborne illness from contaminated water,” Hendrix shared with Fox News Digital. “If he suffers from dysentery or a severe foodborne or waterborne illness, it could quickly incapacitate him. So, hopefully, he consumes contaminated water and contracts a serious disease that forces him out of hiding. My primary worry is for hikers, campers, or hunters out there who might be caught off guard.”

During a press conference last week, Champion stated that authorities feel fairly sure about the path Hardin took during his escape, believing he remained in the Ozarks region. However, a federal complaint filed against him on May 30 hints at another scenario: he might have fled the state.

Based on two unconfirmed sightings, including one in Missouri on May 26, a day after Hardin escaped, federal officials believe he’s not in Arkansas anymore, as The Arkansas Democrat Gazette first reported.

“He has extensive knowledge of the Ozark Mountain region, where he is believed to be possibly hiding in caves or rugged terrain that he is familiar with,” Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert J. Hammons wrote in the criminal complaint, according to the Gazette. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas.