AVERY COUNTY, N.C. — A 71-year-old man who was reported missing is believed to have died in a crash, according to the Avery County Sheriff’s Office.
Barry Robert Hertel was last seen at Lowes Hardware in Banner Elk on Saturday.
At approximately 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, someone called 911 about a vehicle in a river in Avery County off Highway 194 near Sam Eller Road.
At the scene, deputies found an unresponsive man in a silver car that was partially submerged in the river. The registration number for the vehicle confirmed it belonged to Hertel.
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Hertel was also confirmed to be the man in the vehicle.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said it will be investigating the crash that resulted in Hertel’s death.
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