In Henderson County, rescuers hike crumbling paths to find missing people

BAT CAVE, N.C. — Friday marked one week since one of the worst storms to ever hit North Carolina.

Helene has impacted all of our lives. But through the tragedy, Channel 9 has shared countless stories of how the community is supporting its neighbors.

Lawmakers in Raleigh said they plan to approve initial disaster relief next week. Vice President Kamala Harris will visit North Carolina on Saturday to tour the devastation from the storm.

The death toll continues to rise across the Southeast. By Friday evening, we learned more than 200 people died in the storm, making it the deadliest since Hurricane Katrina.

ALSO READ: What you can do to help after Helene’s devastation in western NC

First responder rescue crews have a literal mountain ahead of them. They’re working each day to locate people who are still unaccounted for.

Channel 9 Reporter Hannah Goetz and Photojournalist Bryan Ruderman joined rescue crews in Henderson County on Thursday. In remote areas of western North Carolina, it can take hours to reach just one person. But the crews don’t let that stop them.

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Roads are crumbling, bridges are destroyed, and people still need help even a week after Helene ravaged the Southeast.

Firefighters from Kannapolis and Salisbury have been deployed to Henderson County and are working out of the Edneyville Fire Department. Goetz and Ruderman spent hours with them as they navigated the terrain of eastern Henderson County, finding any way into the Bat Cave community to get residents out.

Rescuers in Henderson County First responder rescue crews have a literal mountain ahead of them. They’re working each day to locate people in western North Carolina who are still unaccounted for after Helene.

“There are residents on top of the mountain here,” said Salisbury Fire Department Capt. Zack Grimes. “If you look, the civilians here have been working to cut the road out. It leads up to the top of the mountain and there is an inn at the top with people cut off [by] the amount of debris.”

Each stop to check on a home takes precise planning and preparation.

“It’s about a mile and a half hike and it’s probably going to be pretty difficult,” Grimes said ahead of one welfare check.

Channel 9 followed as the team pushed through the makeshift path.

ALSO READ: Essential services in Avery County destroyed by Helene

“So be careful, I don’t know how much of that driveway is supported so walk up over the logs away from the edge,” Grimes warned.

The road to the top of the mountain that Grimes was referring to is gone. Over and under trees, the crew worked to find a way up.

“I’ve been a firefighter with the City of Salisbury for 16 years,” Grimes said. “This is probably one of the worst things I’ve ever seen.”

(WATCH BELOW: Carolina Strong: Helping after Helene)

Carolina Strong: Helping after Helene

Once at the top of the mountain, they were relieved to see Richard Tremmell alive and well.

“After four days of intense helicopter traffic, this is not too bad, but yeah, friendly faces,” Tremmell said. “We find out, kind of like the pandemic, you get that hug from the first human, especially when you see someone you know.”

Crews asked Tremmell if he knew anyone else who was trapped.

“I was worried about my neighbors, but I knew we were alright,” he said.

Capt. Grimes recorded the location in a notebook so they could mark the property off the long list they need to check. Then they headed back down the mountainside for the next mission.

>> This is just a portion of what Goetz and Ruderman saw during their time with the rescue team. We’ll have much more from Henderson County in the coming days.

(WATCH BELOW: SC firefighters die after tree falls on firetruck during Tropical Storm Helene)