UNICOI COUNTY, Tenn. — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said it's investigating a Unicoi County business after at least one worker said the company only gave employees 15 minutes to leave before flooding from Helene overtook the building.
On Monday, Erwin-based company Impact Plastics said some employees were either dead or missing after the flooding.
The company said employees were dismissed when floodwaters started to cover the parking lot and service road. It said most employees left immediately, but "some remained on or near the premises for unknown reasons." The company also said it was "devastated by the tragic loss of great employees."
An employee who survived, Jacob Ingram, said the company's statement wasn't totally accurate. He said he only had 15 minutes from when he and his coworkers were told to leave before the floodwaters began to rise.
RELATED: Erwin man recalls how he survived after nearly being swept away by flooding at Impact Plastics
Jacob said they tried to get to higher ground as floodwaters rapidly rose up to them. He said he held on to a semi-truck for dear life for hours before they used rolls of plastic gas piping as a life preserver.
Many of Ingram's co-workers only spoke Spanish. One of those coworkers was Rosa Maria Andrade Reynoso, who was still missing several days later.
District Attorney General Steven R. Finney spoke with the TBI and requested the agency look to identify any potential criminal violations.
A representative for Impact Plastics said on Wednesday the TBI hasn't yet reached out to the company, but will fully cooperate with their investigation.
