Local
Search underway after crews find missing father's car near Linville Gorge trailhead
More than 100 searchers from five counties are combing the rugged Linville Gorge for Justin Lobdell, a Black Mountain father of two last seen on Halloween, after his car was found at the Pine Gap trailhead.
BURKE COUNTY, N.C. â A large-scale search is underway Tuesday in the Linville Gorge in Burke County, where more than 100 searchers from five counties are looking for a Black Mountain father of two who was last seen on Halloween.
Black Mountain Police said Justin Lobdell's car was found at the Pine Gap trailhead on the west side of the Linville Gorge. An off-duty sheriff's deputy and his wife spotted the vehicle and remembered it was part of a missing persons case out of Black Mountain.
The Linville Gorge is some of the most rugged terrain on the East Coast. Crews used drones and brought in search dogs to work along the trail. The Linville-Central Rescue Squad also rappelled down sections of the mountainside in hopes of finding clues about what happened.
First responders told reporters that Lobdell has some experience in the woods. They believe his car may have been at the trailhead since Nov. 1 but was only discovered over the weekend.
The search is ongoing, and officials have not released further details about Lobdell's condition or the circumstances of his disappearance. Anyone with information is urged to contact Black Mountain Police.