Authorities have identified a body found at Cummins Falls State Park Thursday morning.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has identified the woman as 45-year-old Lisa Michelle Hillian of Sales Creek Tennessee.
Search crews located Hillian’s body around 9:00 a.m. as they were looking for 73-year-old Peggy McDaniel. McDaniel went missing Wednesday after flash floods ripped through the park, stranding nearly 40 people. She was thought to be the only person missing after after crews rescued some 35 people.
The TBI does not know if Hillian died as a result of the flash flood or if it was part of an unrelated death. An autopsy will be performed by the Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the exact cause of death.
During a press conference Thursday evening, Jackson County Sheriff Marty Hinson said the case is not being labeled as a criminal investigation at this time.
“Not knowing how many was in the park, it’s hard to say whether this body we found this morning was part of the flooding or maybe a suspicious death,” Hinson said. “At this point in time it’s just hard to say, which makes it very difficult for us.”
The investigation remains active and ongoing at this time.
Jackson County EMA Director Keith Bean said the people stranded at the park were not locals, making it harder to determine exactly how many people were at the park when the flooding hit.
Crews have been using drone, kayaks, and a helicopter as they continue to search for McDaniel.
“We will find her,” Bean said. “It may take us a while, but we aren’t leaving until we find her.”
