JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. — As people gather to celebrate Thanksgiving, there will be an empty seat at some tables. Matt Cloyd’s table is one of them.
“I don’t know if that [closure] will come, without us finding him," he said.
It’s been exactly two months since Steve Cloyd, his father, went missing. He was last heard from on Sept. 27 when his family said he and his dog were in his jeep, at his home in Jonesborough, trying to escape the floodwaters of Hurricane Helene.
Steve’s jeep was found a day later. One week later, his dog was found. But, Steve is still missing.
“It’s going to be the first holiday without him,” Matt said. “Christmas is around the corner. None of us are looking forward to that.”
Matt and his family are still searching for Steve, one of only a couple of East Tennesseans still missing after Hurricane Helene.
“It’s that unknown feeling,” he said. “Not being able to know where your loved one is, what they’re doing, how’d it happen.”
Dozens of volunteers have helped search for Steve over the last two months. Matt said he wishes state and federal agencies would offer more help finding his father. He said it’s been difficult to get answers from officials on how the search efforts are continuing.
But, he said he is thankful to the strangers who have offered their compassion and help.
“Dad always taught us to find the bright side of things," he said. “If no one believes people can come together, we have seen it happen ... So that’s a blessing in its own regards.”
Matt said he is asking everyone who lives along rivers and around Douglas Lake to keep an eye out while they continue the search for his dad.