Park visitor discovers injured man missing for days in Smoky Mountains, officials say
The search for a missing hiker in Great Smoky Mountains National Park ended when a park visitor found him injured and suffering from exposure, according to the National Park Service.
Jacob Riggs was discovered around 8 a.m. on Wednesday, April 10, “in the vicinity of Tremont by a park visitor who recognized that he was in need of care,” officials said.
“The visitor brought Riggs to the Incident Command Post near the Townsend Wye,” officials said. “Riggs had minor injuries and exposure to weather. He was evaluated onsite and taken to a local hospital.”
Details of how Riggs was injured were not released and officials did not identify the person who found him.
Riggs, 35, had last been seen April 7, in Maynardville, Tennessee, about a 75-mile drive north of the park.
His car was found April 8 on the Tennessee side of the park, which straddles the North Carolina state line.
Searchers from “several organizations” were focused on the Townsend Wye, Tremont and Cades Cove areas in the northwestern part of the park.
A Facebook account for Riggs reports he lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, about a 50-mile drive north of Cades Cove, and completed hiking a stretch of the Appalachian Trail through the park in March.
His bio reports he trained for emergency situations with the Roane State Community College Emergency Medical Services program.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers 522,427 acres and has 848 miles of trail, including a 74-mile section of the Appalachian Trail. The park is home to a large population of black bears.
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