South Asheville News

From January 27, 2023 post.

At approximately 1500 on Wednesday the 25th Transylvania County Rescue Squad was requested to assist Transylvania Co. Sheriff's Office and the Blue Ridge Parkway with a search for a missing person on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Squad members formed a unified command with the Sheriff's department and embedded team members into the deputies initial search patterns in the immediate vicinity of the subject's last known point. Despite high winds Connestee Fire Rescue pilots attempted to fly their drone and utilize its high powered infrared cameras to detect heat signatures within the search area. As day turned to night additional mountain rescue resources were called from our partners at Henderson County Rescue Squad and the Transylvania County ERT was activated. The ERT is a specially trained inter-departmental team of wilderness rescuers pulled from all county first response agencies. Transylvania County Emergency Services was requested to provide mapping and logistical support and were able to set up a mobile command post to support communications, operations, and planning. Haywood Rescue responded to provide medical standby and logistical support. Transylvania and Henderson teams performed saturation searches in high probability areas and wide area searches down topographic features as the moon rose. Teams encountered treacherous steep off-trail terrain and had to navigate dense briar patches as dew began to freeze. At 2300 the decision was made to suspend operation until the following morning due to compounding responding safety concerns. The unified command team spent the evening building a search plan and generating search assignments for the following day. Command activated several regional teams and resources to bolster the next day's search.

Rising early, team members mustered on the parkway and were deployed alongside resources from across Transylvania County, Henderson County Rescue Squad, Haywood County Search & Rescue, Haywood County Emergency Services and a North Carolina State Highway Patrol helicopter. The TCRS search team was tasked with searching a wide swath of the steep mountain face above the parkway itself. Several hours into the effort while working near the ridge a clue was discovered by a rookie squad member that was potentially linked to the missing subject. Squad members organized a grid search of the area and revealed additional potential clues. After confirmation that the clues were linked to the missing subject, command surged resources to saturate the area. A short time later the missing subject was located alive and unharmed despite spending two nights alone and unsheltered near 5,000ft. The subject was assisted to a waiting ambulance and transported for evaluation.

Well over 125 people worked together for over 24 hours to achieve this positive outcome. It represents immense teamwork and the special kind of dedication that characterizes emergency services in Western North Carolina. This was the squad's third wilderness search and rescue in less than a week. Members will certainly be sleeping soundly tonight. A heartfelt thank you to all of the agencies that responded to support this effort, the families of those responders, and all of those in this community that put their trust in us.

Original source can be found here.