Search expands for hiker missing a week in NC mountains near Blue Ridge Parkway
A man from Asheville is still missing after going hiking a week ago in Western North Carolina, according to local law enforcement.
Chad Seger was last seen Oct. 12 near Black Balsam in Pisgah National Forest, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office said Friday in a missing person alert. The sheriff’s office did not provide a description but asked anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact them.
His car, a grey Saturn Ion, was found Oct. 16 in the Black Balsam parking lot, near the Blue Ridge Parkway, Haywood County Eergency Services reports.
More than 120 people from multiple agencies joined the search, Haywood County Emergency Services said Sunday on Facebook. They were searching an area off the Blue Ridge Parkway that was broadened to include the Shining Rock Wilderness and Black Balsam Knob.
“All credible leads from social media and local hikers continue to be followed up on and the Incident Management Team encourages the public to keep sharing tips or possible sightings,” the department wrote.
Karen Seger, who identified herself as the missing man’s mother, said in an Oct. 16 Facebook post that she had not heard from him since Oct. 11.
“Chad Seger: If by chance that you are watching social media, you are loved. We want you home and safe. Please accept the help that is on its way,” she posted. “God watch over my son and keep him safe. Send him the help I know he wants and needs.”
The National Center for Missing and Endangered, a nonprofit that assists law enforcement on missing person cases, also shared Seger’s case on Facebook.
Pisgah National Forest encompasses roughly 500,000 acres in Western North Carolina. Black Balsam is a heavily trafficked trail off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Less than 30 miles from Asheville, it is widely considered one of the most popular trails in Pisgah.
The difficulty level at Black Balsam is described as “easy to moderate” by Explore Asheville. It’s about two miles round-trip and takes an hour to complete.
“Surrounded by wilderness, this tree-free ‘bald’ is an easy, family-friendly hike, ideal for picnicking or blueberry picking,” the website says.
It connects, however, to the Art Loeb Trail — a 30-mile trek through rougher terrain that’s described as “one of the longer and more difficult trails in the state” on the website Hike Western NC. It wasn’t immediately clear Friday what trail Seger had been following.
This story was originally published October 16, 2020 at 6:19 PM with the headline "Search expands for hiker missing a week in NC mountains near Blue Ridge Parkway."
