A 21-year-old Cincinnati, Ohio man who had been missing in Dolly Sods since October 11th, Thomas Donnelly was found the following day deceased by members of the West Virginia State Police. The discovery of Donnelly was made in the search area about 2 p.m. October 12, according to an agency press release.
Donnelly had been hiking and camping in Dolly Sods with a group of eight mountaineers from the University of Cincinnati Mountaineering Club since October 9.
It was while attempting to cross the swollen South Red Creek that the group encountered issues. While trying to cross the creek, Donnelly was swept away by the fast-moving water after losing his footing. The area had seen heavy rainfall during the group’s visit that had elevated water levels and caused swift currents and flash flooding in the area, leading to the dangerous and unstable conditions.
At approximately 11:39 a.m. Tucker County 911 received the initial call of a lost hiker in the area of Red Creek Trail and Fisher Springs Trail. Members of the West Virginia State Police and the Harman Volunteer Fire Department assisted with the search.
However, Donnelly was not found during initial search efforts and due to incoming inclement weather and diminishing daylight, search efforts were suspended, according to the release.
Donnelly’s family were notified of the disappearance and circumstances surrounding the incident following the initial search.
Operations resumed the next morning, with the discovery of Donnelly’s remains that afternoon.
Donnelly was a fourth year Industrial & Systems Engineering student at the University of Cincinnati. He was studying for a certificate in computer science, according to his LinkedIn page, with experience in logistics, manufacturing and analytics in the automotive industry.