Avery County camper missing since Helene found dead

AVERY COUNTY, N.C. — A camper who was reported missing in Avery County during Hurricane Helene was found dead last week, officials said. 

A crew clearing debris along the North Toe River near Bent Road in Ingalls found the victim’s body on March 28. The Avery County Sheriff’s Office said the remains are believed to be those of a Helene-related missing camper from Buck Hill Campground. The remains were sent to the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh for positive identification. 

This would bring the official count in Avery County to one missing person and six dead due to Hurricane Helene. Detectives are exhausting all efforts to locate the last missing person. 

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Avery County Sheriff’s Office at 828-733-5855. 

Helene is responsible for at least 248 deaths in the U.S. including over 100 in North Carolina. The majority of those deaths were attributed to flooding, which claimed 77 lives in North Carolina and two in South Carolina. 

“Each of those people had parents, children, spouses, brothers, sisters, cousins, friends and neighbors who are feeling pain,” Gov. Josh Stein said before a moment of silence to honor the lives lost. 

Despite the progress made in rebuilding efforts, Stein made another urgent plea to federal and state officials for additional help. He called on the White House to extend how long it will work to clear debris, saying it could take an additional nine months to remove everything left in Helene’s wake. 

“We need them to fight like hell for the people of western North Carolina,” Stein said. “God bless all the people of western North Carolina.”

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