Missing hiker's body found, family issues statement

UPDATE 10/3/2018 - Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced last night that search crews found the body of Mitzie Sue “Susan” Clements, 53, from Cleves, Ohio, after an extensive, week-long search. Clements had been missing from the Clingmans Dome area of the park since Tuesday, Sept. 25. A large-scale search operation was launched, which included trained searchers, canine teams, helicopters, and drones with advanced technology from around 50 local, state, and federal agencies and professional search and rescue groups.

Searchers found Susan Clements in a heavily wooded, rugged area like the
one pictured about two miles from Clingmans Dome parking area. (NPS Photo)

Late yesterday afternoon, Clements' body was found off-trail, in a rugged, heavily wooded area of the Huggins Creek drainage, approximately two miles from Clingmans Dome parking area and three-fourths mile south of the Appalachian Trail. The cause of death is under investigation, however foul play is not suspected at this time.

 

Susan Clements, far left, was hiking with her youngest daughter
when she disappeared in the Great Smoky Mountains. (Photo from Daily Mail)

“Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and co-workers of Susan during this difficult time,” said park Superintendent Cassius Cash. “We are grieving with the family and hope that yesterday’s recovery helps provide some closure as they begin their own grieving process.” He added, “I am inspired by, and extremely grateful for, the tireless work of our park staff, as well as the generous assistance provided by dozens of agencies and well-trained search and rescue organizations.”

Clingmans Dome Road remains closed to allow staff time to remove the infrastructure brought in to help manage and support the search operation. The road and Clingmans Dome parking area are expected to reopen by tomorrow morning.

Clements had worked since December as an accounting technician in the administration department of the city of Cincinnati's Metropolitan Sewer District, according to a statement from the district.

Before that, she worked for UC Health and Trinity Health System, both in the Cincinnati area, according to social media posts. Cleves, the small town Clements hailed from, is about 16 miles northwest of Cincinnati, according to a report in USA Today.

Co-worker David Stephens, IT services manager for the sewer district, posted on social media, calling Clements "one of the most genuinely nice people I've ever met. Always a cheerful good morning and some small talk on her way past my office to get her daily ice water."

Susan Clements was a mother to three children, the youngest of which she was hiking with when she went missing. Her family provided this statement to share with the public:

“I want to specifically thank the National Park Service for their incredible efforts. The cooperation shown between more than 50 agencies was amazing, comforting, and very supportive. Every piece of the operation, including the scientific fronts, logistical parts, and the emotional support provided to us was very impressive."

"The children, her sisters, and I want to especially thank Jared St. Clair (Chief Ranger), Joe Pond (Incident Commander), James Latendresse (Operations Chief), and Florie Takaki (Family Liaison) for their dedication and support. We also want to thank the countless other people who helped look for Susan. This includes the ground searchers, pilots, drone operators, dog trackers, technicians, EMS providers, the many teams of tactical climbers and rescuers, and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. The kids, her sisters, and I greatly appreciate the intense work they performed for us, and we will be eternally grateful.”

An estimated 175 personnel assisted in the complex search operation of some of the most rugged terrain found in the park.

Cooperating organizations that assisted staff from Great Smoky Mountains National Park included:

• AmeriCorps
• Backcountry Unit Search and Rescue
• Black Diamond Search and Rescue
• Blount County Rescue Squad
• Blount County Special Operations Response Team
• Blue and Gray Search and Rescue Dogs
• Blue Ridge Mountain Rescue Group
• Buncombe County Rescue Squad
• Catons Chapel-Richardson Cove Volunteer Fire Department
• Cherokee Indian Police Department
• Cherokee Tribal EMS
• Christian Aid Ministries Search and Rescue
• Gatlinburg Fire Department
• Gatlinburg Police Department
• Haywood County Search and Rescue
• Henderson County Rescue Squad and EMS
• Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
• Knox County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
• Knoxville-Knox County Emergency Management Agency
• Maryville Police Department
• North Carolina Emergency Management Agency
• North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation
• Northview Kodak Fire Department
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• Pigeon Forge Police Department
• Sevier County Emergency Management Agency
• Sevier County Volunteer Rescue Squad
• Sevier County Sheriff’s Office
• Sevierville Police Department
• Southwest Virginia Mountain Rescue Group
• Seymour Volunteer Fire Department
• Smoky Mountain Nordic Ski Patrol
• Smoky Mountain Search and Rescue Team
• Swain County Emergency Management Agency
• Swain County Rescue Squad
• Swain County Sheriff’s Office
• Tennessee Army National Guard
• Tennessee Emergency Management Agency
• Tennessee Highway Patrol
• Tennessee Highway Patrol Rapid Response Team
• Tennessee Search and Rescue Team
• Tennessee State Parks
• The Student Conservation Association
• United States Forest Service Cherokee Hotshots
• Walden’s Creek Volunteer Fire Department
• National Park Service personnel from Blue Ridge Parkway, Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, Shenandoah National Park, and the Investigative Services Branch.

Missing woman's body found by searchers 2 miles from Clingmans Dome near Appalachian Trail

UPDATE 10/2/2018: Search crews located the body of Susan Clements in Great Smoky Mountains National Park late this afternoon. Her body was found approximately two miles west of the Clingmans Dome parking area, and 3/4 mile south of the Appalachian Trail. Our hearts are with the family and friends of Ms. Clements. The park would like to extend our appreciation to the many agencies and organizations that participated in the search effort.

Susan Clements' body has been found by searchers.
More details will be provided when they are available.

Further details will be provided when they become available.

UPDATE 10/1/2018 ... Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials are in their sixth full day of searching for Mitzie Sue “Susan” Clements, 53, who was last seen in the Clingmans Dome area of the park on Tuesday, Sept. 25. Over the weekend, the search effort intensified with the addition of personnel and specialized equipment from five states. Searchers, canine teams, helicopters, and drones are continuing to work in steep, rugged terrain of the mountainous area that straddles the North Carolina – Tennessee border.

Missing hiker Susan Clements.

As of Monday, around 125 trained searchers and logistical support personnel from more than 40 state and local agencies and search and rescue organizations are participating in the search operation led by the National Park Service. Thus far searchers have hiked over 500 miles on trails looking for Clements. In addition, experienced search personnel, canine teams, and drones with specialized search and rescue equipment have been used to conduct more intensive off-trail “grid-searches” of approximately 10 square miles.

Susan Clements was last seen on the Forney Ridge Trail approximately ¼ mile from Andrews Bald on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 5 pm. She is a white female with light brown hair and blue eyes, is 5’6” tall, and weighs 125 pounds. She is wearing a green zip-up sweater, black workout pants over black leggings and a clear rain poncho. The Park's press release today updated the shoes she was wearing to gray Nike running shoes with light green soles.

Searchers work in steep terrain. (NPS Photo)

A number of new organizations have joined in the search in the last two days, including:

• Christian Aid Ministries Search and Rescue
• Gatlinburg Fire Department
• Haywood County Search and Rescue
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory
• North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation
• Tennessee Highway Patrol Rapid Response Team
• Tennesse Search and Rescue Team
• Tennessee State Parks
• United States Forest Service
• Cherokee Hotshots
• National Park Service personnel from Blue Ridge Parkway, Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park, and Shenandoah National Park
• (See other participating organizations, below)

The seven-mile Clingmans Dome Road remains closed to accommodate the infrastructure needed to manage this large-scale search. There are no trail closures in effect at this time.

Clements search area. (NPS Photo)

9/30/2018 ... Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials continue to search for Mitzie Sue “Susan” Clements, 53, of Cleves, Ohio, who was last seen in the Clingmans Dome area of the park on Tuesday, Sept. 25. Trained personnel from cooperating agencies in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia have responded to assist park staff in a large-scale search effort for the missing woman in steep, rugged terrain.

Clements was hiking with her daughter on the Forney Ridge Trail, near Andrews Bald, when the two separated. She was last seen around 5:00 pm approximately ¼ mile from Andrews Bald.

Park officials were alerted that Clements was missing on Tuesday evening and began to search the immediate area with no success. On Wednesday, officials expanded the search area, and additional personnel were called in to search. Searchers spent the night on the Appalachian Trail Wednesday night, attempting to locate Clements and to interview any hikers in the area.

As of Saturday, around 125 trained searchers and logistical support personnel from more than 30 state and local agencies and search and rescue organizations are participating in the search operation led by the National Park Service.

Helicopters and multiple canine teams have been deployed for the search effort. Specialized search and rescue drones, operated by FAA-licensed pilots are being used in some areas to help search for Clements. Searchers have worked through rain, fog, wind and low temperatures in the 40s over the last several days in this mountainous region which straddles two states and several counties. Today’s forecast calls for clearer skies and drier air, a welcome change for search personnel.

By closing the seven-mile Clingmans Dome Road on Thursday night, the park was able to transform the Clingmans Dome parking area into a field “incident command post” from which to manage the complex search. Infrastructure such as tents and self-contained mobile command busses serve as portable offices for search personnel and provide a place for searchers to escape the elements, refuel, and receive instructions before heading back out to continue the search for Clements.

Verizon Wireless established a mobile cell booster, which is now providing the critical cell and data coverage needed to effectively manage and support the search effort in this remote location. Even the closed road itself has been used as a landing zone for aircraft that are assisting in the search as weather permits. Clingmans Dome Road remains closed for the duration of this critical search operation.

At this time additional volunteer searchers are not being sought, as search operations are limited to trained searchers to enable a systematic, thorough search of the area. “This is unforgiving terrain, and we are working long hours to find Ms. Clements,” said Acting Chief Ranger Jared St. Clair. “We are extremely grateful for the rapid response by so many well-trained personnel and the generous support resources that our cooperators have dedicated to this search.”

Cooperating organizations include:

• Backcountry Unit Search and Rescue
• Black Diamond Search and Rescue
• Blount County Rescue Squad
• Blount County Special Operations Response Team
• Blue and Gray Search and Rescue Dogs
• Buncombe County Rescue Squad
• Catons Chapel-Richardson Cove Volunteer Fire Department
• Cherokee Indian Police Department
• Cherokee Tribal EMS
• Gatlinburg Police Department
• Henderson County Rescue Squad and EMS
• Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
• Knox County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
• Knoxville-Knox County Emergency Management Agency
• Maryville Police Department
• North Carolina Emergency Management Agency
• Northview Kodak Fire Department
• Pigeon Forge Police Department
• Sevier County Emergency Management Agency
• Sevier County Volunteer Rescue Squad
• Sevier County Sheriff’s Office
• Sevierville Police Department
• Southwest Virginia Mountain Rescue Group
• Seymour Volunteer Fire Department
• Smoky Mountain Nordic Ski Patrol
• Smoky Mountain Search and Rescue Team
• Swain County Emergency Management Agency
• Swain County Rescue Squad
• Swain County Sheriff’s Office
• Tennessee Emergency Management Agency
• Walden’s Creek Volunteer Fire Department.

Anyone who saw Clements on Tuesday afternoon or since then is asked to contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch through one of the following methods: 1-888-653-0009, www.nps.gov/isb and click “submit a tip,” email nps_isb@nps.gov, or via a message on Facebook at “InvestigativeServicesNPS,” or Twitter @SpecialAgentNPS.