The body of the last missing Impact Plastics employee has been found after flooding in Helene

The body of Rosa Maria Andrade Reynoso, the last person missing in Unicoi County after devastating floods from Hurricane Helene on September 27, has been found.

Unicoi County Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Erwin confirmed that Reynoso’s body was found Oct. 30 by a cleaning company in Erwin. Her body was identified on October 31.

On the same day, Reynoso was found, This was reported on Knox News Rescue crews were no longer actively searching for her body because they had “exhausted efforts,” Erwin said. On October 31, he told Knox News that local law enforcement remained in the area and were monitoring piles of debris that may have covered her body.

Ultimately, that’s what happened and how her body was found.

Reynoso was one of at least 10 employees of Impact Plastics who clung to the back of a flatbed truck as the Nolichucky River rose around them. The truck was hit several times by debris and then overturned, throwing workers into the rising water.

Everyone on board was washed away, although some were later rescued by a Tennessee National Guard helicopter.

Reynoso is A sixth Impact Plastics employee, Knox News, has been confirmed to have diedalthough government officials did not identify any of the employees by name. Other employees include Sibrina Barnett, Monica Hernandez, Bertha Mendoza, Johnny Peterson and Lidia Verdugo.

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

The company denied that it forced employees to stay at work due to rising flood waters. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation initiated an investigation into this company and as does the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Two people are missing in Washington County: Steven Cloyd and Nancy Tucker.

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