The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association says that Hurricane Helene’s heavy rain and dangerous conditions have killed two cops in Western North Carolina.
The Sheriff’s Association says that an officer from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office died in the flash floods that followed the storm.
They were called to the Cullasaja River on Fulton Road around 11:30 a.m. Friday because a truck was stuck in the water.
People who saw what happened say they saw someone in the truck before it sank.
A search began Friday afternoon with people on foot and with drones by a number of rescue services. Several fast water rescue teams were sent to help.
As night fell, the search was stopped. It started again on Saturday morning, and a body was found in the river.
The victim was named by the Sheriff’s Office as Jim Lau, who worked as a security guard at the jail.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is looking into what happened right now.
From what the Macon County Sheriff’s Office hears, Lau was a valued worker who always stepped in to help out.
Western North Carolina as a whole, as well as Lau’s family, are being asked to keep in their thoughts by the Sheriff’s Office.