KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Here’s what we know about how many searches and deaths happen in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Within the last week, officials have said two individuals in separate cases may have been missing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. One of the missing men, who was being sought by Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office, was found safe. The search for a missing Florida man by park rangers continues over a week after he was last seen.
A recent review of data from the National Park Service placed the Smokies among the top five deadliest national parks in 2022.
Following the reports of the two missing men, WATE reached out to the GSMNP for more information about how many searches for missing people and deaths happen in the park. According to a spokesperson for GSMNP, 11 people died in the park in 2022. At the end of April, 2023, there had only been one fatality in GSMNP.
On April 19, the body of a missing person was recovered from near Low Gap Trail in Cosby according to the National Park Service. While the missing person’s name was not released, NPS released that the Cocke County Medical Examiner’s Office would determine the individual’s identity and cause of death.
The search for the missing person began on April 13, after a vehicle that was registered to them had been parked at the Cosby Campground Amphitheater for over a week. A spokesperson for GSMNP said at that time that the vehicle was registered in a different state and the person associated with it had been reported missing from there.
GSMNP also shared that the park averages about 100 search and rescues every year. Some of those this year already include searches for missing people and rescues for injured hikers.
Authorities say nearly 400 people go missing in Tennessee each year. That’s five people for every 100,000. Check this list of people missing from East Tennessee to see if you can help locate someone.