GhLinks Media
Rosa Andrade, the missing 29-year-old Impact Plastics employee who was swept away by flooding in Unicoi County in September, has been found dead more than a month after Helene.
Rosa was the last of six missing employees who died from Helene’s flooding. She leaves behind a husband and two children.
William Edwards, the chief of the Unicoi County Search and Rescue team, confirmed Rosa’s body was found Wednesday in a debris pile along Interstate 26 in Erwin and identified on Thursday.
The factory Rosa worked at was located along I-26 near the Nolichucky River.
The river ran over and caused catastrophic flooding after the remnants of Helene dumped rain across Northeast Tennessee and Western North Carolina on Sept. 27.
As days turned into weeks, Edwards said the biggest challenge in finding Rosa was combing through the debris fields. He said some of the piles were up to 30 feet deep. Workers clearing debris along the interstate eventually discovered her body 33 days later.
“One of them spotted the remains and immediately held back from digging any further until authorities were notified,” Edwards said.
Her husband, Francisco Javier Guerrero, said he last heard from her when she was inside the Impact Plastics factory.
“She said goodbye to me, and to take care of the kids,” Guerrero said.
Edwards said news of Rosa’s recovery provided some comfort for loved ones and workers who were praying she would be found.
All of those who were missing in Unicoi County have been found, but search efforts will continue for the many who are still missing in Western North Carolina.
