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Who was Ryan Lakes? Missing Nashville man's body found at Great Smoky Mountains
Ryan Lakes, 21, from Nashville, was found dead in the Smokies after going missing. His car was found near the park; NPS had issued a description.
Ryan Lakes, a 21-year-old man from Nashville, Tennessee was found dead at the Great Smoky Mountains on Sunday, the National Park Service confirmed. Lakes had gone missing from the Tennessee side of the park since Thursday. His body was found in the Big Creek area on the North Carolina side of the park on Sunday afternoon.
According to the CBS affiliate station of Knoxville, Tennessee, WLVT-TV, Lakes was last seen in Nashville before he went missing. His car was found parked in near the park by forest rangers who were conducting a search for him, the report added.
In a previous release by the NPS, Lakes was described as a "white male with brown hair and hazel eyes" who is "5’5” tall and weighs 130 pounds". It added: "He was last seen wearing dark color gym shorts, a dark color T-shirt, brown tennis shoes, and a black backpack. "
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It was not immediately clear how Ryan Lakes died, as his autopsy is still pending. The search effort included multiple sheriff’s offices from both North Carolina and Tennessee. Nashville police, the US Forest Service, and a search and rescue team also assisted, WBTV3 reported.
The Great Smoky Mountains span the Tennessee–North Carolina border and are part of the Appalachian range. Known for misty peaks and rich biodiversity, they are the most-visited US national park.
