A family of three who went missing around 6 p.m. Monday while hiking in the Haywood County area has been safely located.
Haywood County public information officer Allison Richmond says two parents and a young child, possibly elementary school age, got lost while hiking along the Art Loeb Trail near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Richmond says it's believed the family left the trail and made their way into the Shining Wilderness area, which is unmarked.
For awhile, rescuers said the biggest concern was the weather. Richmond says they didn't believe the family had equipment for being in dense fog and wet conditions for a long period of time.
Crews worked non-stop since 7 p.m. Monday searching for the family. The search was limited to a ground search because of weather conditions. Dozens of search and rescue personnel from teams in multiple counties assisted.