Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers found the deceased body of a missing Tennessee man in a remote section of the park near Balsam Mountain, North Carolina. Bryce Evans, age 23, of Knoxville, Tenn., was reported missing by his family earlier this week.
Park Rangers located his vehicle parked at the Balsam Mountain Trailhead near Pin Oak Gap on Heintooga Ridge Road at approximately 7:45 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 4. They closed the road and conducted a search of the immediate area with emergency responders from the Cherokee Police and Fire Departments. On Friday, August 5, emergency responders from the National Park Service and Cherokee Police, Fire, and Emergency Management Services assisted in a comprehensive search of the area. Within a few hours, emergency responders found Evans about 20 yards off trail, approximately one and a half miles from the Balsam Mountain Trailhead parking area, at approximately 11:15 a.m.
No additional details are available at this time.
- National Park Service release
