MACON COUNTY, N.C. – A retired Volusia County Sheriff’s deputy was killed in the line of duty on Friday from Helene floodwaters.
In a social media post on Sunday, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office wrote that witnesses saw a truck go underwater in a river off a nearby road. It was then realized that one of the courthouse security officers hadn’t returned to work from lunch and his vehicle matched the truck’s description in the river.
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After a search, the sheriff’s office reported the body of Jim Lau was recovered Saturday morning. Lau, 75, was a retired deputy at the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.
According to VCSO, Lau served from 1982-2005 working in the major case and crime scene units.
At least 91 people across several states were killed due to Helene, which hit the Florida Big Bend region as a strong Category 4 hurricane on Thursday.
A weakened Helene quickly moved through Georgia, then soaked the Carolinas and Tennessee with torrential rains that flooded creeks and rivers and strained dams.
President Joe Biden described the impact of the storm as “stunning” and said he would visit the area this week as long as it does not disrupt rescues or recovery work.
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