She went missing in Helene floods, and East Tennessee authorities have ended the search

Tyler Whetstone, Knoxville News Sentinel
·2 min read

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

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 watching for signs of a body as they work, he continued, but emergency crews are no longer part of the search.

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

Everyone aboard was washed away, though some were later rescued by a Tennessee National Guard helicopter.

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

Francesco Guerrero holds a photograph of his wife, Rosa Maria Andrade Reynoso, on Sept. 29 in Erwin, Tennessee. Reynoso was caught in floodwaters on Sept. 27 and has not been found. An active search for her has been called off and she remains listed as missing.
Francesco Guerrero holds a photograph of his wife, Rosa Maria Andrade Reynoso, on Sept. 29 in Erwin, Tennessee. Reynoso was caught in floodwaters on Sept. 27 and has not been found. An active search for her has been called off and she remains listed as missing.

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

The company has denied it forced employees to stay until it was too late. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has launched an investigation into the business, and so has 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 spokesperson Susan Saylor told Knox News on Oct. 29.

Tyler Whetstone is an investigative reporter focused on accountability journalism. Connect with Tyler by emailing him at tyler.whetstone@knoxnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tyler_whetstone.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Unicoi County says active search ended for Rosa Maria Andrade Reynoso