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Unicoi County says the active search has ended for Rosa Maria Andrade Reynoso
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Unicoi County says the active search has ended for Rosa Maria Andrade Reynoso

After a month of searching, emergency crews are no longer actively looking for the body of Rosa Maria Andrade Reynoso, the last missing person from Unicoi County following the devastating floods of September 27.

Crews have “exhausted efforts” to find Reynoso, Unicoi County Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Erwin told Knox News. Reynoso will continue to be listed as missing until her remains are found, he said. Construction crews will continue to watch for signs of a body as they work, he continued, but emergency crews are no longer part of the search.

The mother of two children is one of at least 10 employees at Impact Plastics who clung to the back of a flatbed semi truck as the Nolichucky River rose around them. The truck was struck by debris several times and eventually overturned, knocking the employees into the rising water.

All aboard were washed away, although some were later rescued by a Tennessee National Guard helicopter.

Knox News has confirmed the deaths of five Impact Plastics employeesthough state officials have not identified any of the employees by name. These workers are Sibrina Barnett, Monica Hernandez, Bertha Mendoza, Johnny Peterson and Lidia Verdugo.

Several employees said − including in a lawsuit filed by Peterson’s family − that managers at Impact Plastics did not allow employees to leave the factory until it was too late.

The company denied forcing employees to stay until it was too late. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation into the business and so does the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Emergency crews in Washington County are actively searching for two missing people there, Steven Cloyd and Nancy Tucker, sheriff’s office spokeswoman Susan Saylor told Knox News on Oct. 29.

Tyler Whetstone is an investigative reporter focused on accountability journalism. Connect with Tyler via email at [email protected]. Follow X, formerly known as Twitter, @tyler_whetstone.