11/17/2025
Locals, please continue to be on the lookout. 💔
I wanted to give an update on the search for Charles, and honestly… it’s getting frustrating. He was last seen right there in the area he knows better than most people ever will. His car was parked there. Hikers actually talked to him on the trail. And even with all the manpower, all the drones, K-9s, helicopters, and experienced search teams out there… he still hasn’t been found.
These woods aren’t unfamiliar. A lot of people who hike Blood Mountain and the Byron Herbert Reece Trail know every bend, every rock. Charles does too. This is a route he’s taken countless times. Yet somehow, he vanished.
We’ve confirmed he was on his way down from the top of Blood Mountain when he was last seen. Search teams are focusing on the most likely path he would’ve taken, trying to figure out where things went sideways.
But I keep coming back to the same questions:
How far off trail could he have really gone?
Did he get turned around and keep walking deeper into the woods?
Did he try to get under a rock ledge or cliffside for shelter, which would explain why drones can’t pick him up?
Did he bury himself under leaves trying to stay warm?
Right now, here’s what’s happening on the ground:
• Over 95 trained search and rescue personnel are actively working the area
• K-9 units are still tracking
• Drone operations are ongoing
• Helicopter operations have wrapped after covering the whole area
There have already been credible sightings, including someone who spoke with him while he was coming down the mountain on November 11th around 1:30 PM.
The Union County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who was on the AT near Blood Mountain, the Mountain Crossing store, or the Byron Herbert Reece trailhead on or after November 11th to call 706-439-6091 if you took any photos or saw anything that could help.
They’re also asking local hunters to check game-cam footage around Blood Mountain and the Byron Reece trail area. If you find anything even slightly unusual, call that same number.
Teams have already searched the usual places. He’s not in the obvious spots. So now the focus has shifted to the less-traveled areas — the weird spots, the hidden places, anywhere someone could be and not be seen from above.
If you’re local, experienced, or have specialized knowledge of the area, please get in touch with the people coordinating the search. Even one overlooked detail could matter.
Please keep sharing these updates. The more eyes we have, the better.
Still hoping Charles is out there waiting to be found.
