Missing Wilkes County pastor found in Linville Gorge
Emergency crews searching for a Wilkes County pastor who went missing during a day hike in Linville Gorge located him on Wednesday afternoon, according to WSOC-TV.
Crews had been searching along the Pinch In Trail for Ronald Brookshire, who went on a solo hike Tuesday but never returned to his car.
At 1.5 miles long, the Pinch In Trail is steep and rugged, descending 2,000 feet in about a mile, according to hikinginthesmokys.com
Brookshire told WSOC-TV he spent the night sleeping on a rock.
"I didn't plan on staying the night, but I had to. I got off trail and ended up in a mess,” Brookshire told the news station.
Observer Staff Writer Joe Marusak contributed.
WBTV is a news partner of The Charlotte Observer
This story was originally published June 29, 2016 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Missing Wilkes County pastor found in Linville Gorge."