Last Saturday, authorities found the body of a teenager who went missing after walking away from a group camping trip in the Nantahala National Forest after a search that lasted nearly two weeks.
Alec Sanford Lansing, 17, was last seen on Nov. 10, when authorities say he walked away from a group expedition that was part of a therapy program at Trails Carolina – a wilderness therapy facility located in Lake Toxaway.
Trails Carolina uses a variety of wilderness therapy programs targeted toward at-risk youth and those suffering from mental behavioral or substance abuse issues. Trails Carolina offers programs for boys and girls ages 10-17.
According to Major Shannon Queen, with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Lansing’s body was located not far from where he originally broke off from the rest of the group.
Although the search party for Lansing included multiple agencies, Queen said the search area was expansive and rescuers struggled to navigate the mountainous terrain.
A helicopter was called in to look for Lansing’s body from an aerial view, but Queen said heavy canopy inhibited those efforts.
Queen said Lansing was under the supervision of a Trails Carolina counselor at the time and the counselor witnessed him walk away from the group.
Pathologist William Selby conducted an autopsy on Lansing’s body Monday.
The results indicated the cause of death to be hypothermia. One “significant factor” in the autopsy was that Lansing suffered a broken hip prior to his death.
Investigators who discovered Lansing’s body noted there was evidence of removed moss from a tree that ran over a small stream where his body was found.
Investigators now believe Lansing had scaled the tree when he slipped and fell into the shallow stream, shattering his hip and rendering him immobile.
According to the National Weather Service, the low temperatures on Nov. 10, 11 and 12 were 40, 48 and 45 degrees.
Those temperatures are cold enough to cause hypothermia, but Lansing’s condition was possibly worsened due to his being in the water.
Studies have shown the human body cools 25 times faster in the water than it does in the open air.
It is unclear at this time how long investigators believe Lansing’s body was in the stream.
“We are absolutely devastated with the news about Alec,” said Graham Shannonhouse, Trails Carolina’s executive director, in an emailed response Wednesday. “This is a tragic, accidental event, and our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of this bright young man.
“We thank all of the local agencies and our staff who were involved in the search process for their tremendous efforts. We are deeply saddened with this tragic outcome.”
Lansing’s disappearance marked the second time in just under two months where youths enrolled at Trails Carolina left the facility without permission.
On Sept. 29, two males, 15 and 16 years old, left the camp, sparking a massive search in the Silversteen Road area of Transylvania County.
The search included multiple county agencies, the North Carolina SBI, Highway Patrol, U.S. Forest Service and agencies from other counties.
The two teens were found the following afternoon and ultimately charged with several felonies in relation to allegedly breaking into unoccupied homes in the area and stealing various items – including firearms.
The Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office was not involved in the search efforts for Lansing. Sheriff David Mahoney said these two incidents have caused him concern, particularly the incident in Transylvania, which included criminal activity.
“It is a concern, particularly with the incident that occurred in our county, because that situation (in September) involved a criminal element introduced into our community that we ended up spending a considerable amount of resources to bring to an end,” he said. “So, from that perspective, for the safety and security of our community, I certainly want to do everything I can to work with the owners and directors of that camp to ensure that it’s being operated as safely as possible.”
Mahoney said he doesn’t believe Trails Carolina or any of the youth who attend the camp pose a daily threat to the community but acknowledged that all it takes is one incident to create a potentially dangerous situation as was seen in September.
“Everyone in (Silversteen) was on edge and for a few days there was a tremendous amount of activity going on,” Mahoney said of that incident. “That’s always, from a sheriff’s perspective and law enforcement perspective, a concern for us.”
The Transylvania Times reached out to Trails Carolina for comment to include in this story but camp officials did not reply by press time.
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