VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Among the dozens dead in North Carolina because of Helene is retired Volusia County Sheriff's deputy Jim Lau, Volusia sheriff Mike Chitwood and the Macon County Sheriff's office said.

According to the Macon County, N.C., sheriff's office, a swift-water rescue team recovered Lau's body in a river Saturday morning.

Witnesses reported to authorities that they saw a truck in the river with someone inside Friday morning before it went underwater. 

According to a post on the Macon County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, deputies soon discovered that Lau had not returned from lunch and that the description of the truck in the river matched a description of his truck.

"A search effort was initiated that afternoon by multiple emergency service agencies; an on-foot search, drone search and multiple swift-water rescue teams were called in," a Macon County Sheriff's Facebook post said. "Ultimately, the search was put on hold when the sun began to set. The search began early in the morning on Sept. 28, and Jim's body was found and recovered from the river shortly after the search began."

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is the investigating agency regarding the incident, the Macon County Sheriff's Office Facebook post said.

Lau was serving as a courthouse security officer in Macon County.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said Lau served the Volusia Sheriff's Office in the Major Case and Crime Scene units from 1982 to 2005. 

"He was instrumental in establishing the Crime Scene program and taught hundreds of new deputies various crime scene skills," Chitwood said in a Facebook post. "Thank you for your service, Jim, and may God bless your loved ones who mourn your loss. We send our deepest condolences."

At least 107 people in several states have died because of Helene, officials said.