A dog that was with a man who went missing Monday in the Laurel-Snow State Natural Area north of Dayton, Tennessee, has been found, but the hiker remains missing.
North Carolina native Curtis Dustin Williams, in his 40s, was hiking with a dog Monday and was last heard from around 5 p.m. when he posted a photo on Facebook. He has not been seen since.
The dog that was with him was found when it showed up on a farm Thursday afternoon, according to Rhea County Sheriff's Office investigator Rocky Potter.
"They have tightened down the search to two different areas where the dog came out from," Potter said Friday morning.
The search resumed Friday in the Summer City area, he said.
"We're using K-9 teams now to try to backtrack the path of the dog," Potter said. "Today we're starting our search from the very top of the mountain and working our way down."
The dog was in good condition, didn't seem stressed and has been returned to the owner, Potter said. The animal is a therapy dog that Williams was "dog-sitting" for friends.
Contributed photo / North Carolina native Curtis Dustin Williams, who is in his 40s, went missing with his dog Monday, May 10, 2021, in the Laurel-Snow State Natural Area north of Dayton, Tennessee.There still has been no sign of Williams, Potter said.
"He's an avid hiker. He's hiked all over," Potter said.
It's unknown whether Williams had hiked Laurel-Snow's trails before, but he had experience in the woods, he said.
Authorities said earlier this week that Williams was making regular Facebook posts as he hiked but a post at 5 p.m. Monday was the last anyone heard from him.
Investigators pinged Williams' cellphone in an attempt to find out where he was but the location was invalid and no help to searchers.
Rhea County authorities said the missing man's car was still at the trailhead when the search started four days ago.
Williams was wearing shorts, a maroon shirt and a North Carolina hat when he went missing, officials said.
Anyone who spots the missing man or has any information on his whereabouts is urged to call the Rhea County Sheriff's Office at 423-775-7837 or 911.
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton.