BANNER ELK, N.C. — A missing Avery County man's body has been located after officers responded to a call about a car partially submerged in the Elk River near Banner Elk on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Dec. 23, the N.C. Center for Missing Persons and the Avery County Sheriff's Office issued a Missing Endangered Alert for 71-year-old Barry Hertel of Elk Park. Hertel was last seen at a Lowe's in Banner Elk.
Around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the Avery County Sheriff's Office responded to a call about a car in the river off NC 194 near Sam Eller Road. Officers at the scene found a partially submerged car with an unresponsive man inside.
Deputies were able to confirm that the car was owned by Hertel using the NC vehicle registration number and plate.
The car was removed from the river and officials confirmed that the occupant was dead and identified him as Barry Hertel, the man who was reported missing a few days earlier.
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