Storm debris clean-up crews working along a river stumbled over remains in connection to a camper during Helene, according to the Avery County Sheriff’s Office.
Crews were working along the bank of the North Toe River on Friday when they found the body.
Though officials are waiting on final identification from the office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Raleigh, Avery County Sheriff’s deputies believe the victim was a camper from the Buck Hill Campground who disappeared in the flooding from Helene.
Avery County Sheriff Mike Henly confirmed six fatalities in the county and one remaining missing person from Helene, and the search is still underway.
“The Avery County Sheriff’s Office will continue to exhaust all efforts and follow any leads received pertaining to the last remaining missing individual as a result of Hurricane Helene,” he said.
If confirmed, the discovery would bring the total number of deaths in North Carolina from Helene to 107.
Contact the Avery County Sheriff’s Office at 828-733-5855 with any information.