Our community has shown incredible support throughout this search, and we want to keep you informed. We’re sharing the following details to answer common questions, provide clarity about our efforts, as we continue working to bring Charles home.

Last Known Location:

Charles was last seen descending the Appalachian Trail by two separate witnesses near the peak of Blood Mountain. On the descent from the peak, there are three large rock shelves. He was observed on the middle shelf.

Current Search Focus:

Both Union County and volunteer teams teams are prioritizing rocky terrain where Charles may have fallen, including areas where he could have crawled under boulders or into caves. Search dogs have provided indications both near the lower rock shelves on the Appalachian Trail and lower on the mountain along the Freeman Trail. However, the rocky terrain presents challenges for the dogs: wind carries scent in unpredictable ways through the cliffs and boulders, making it difficult to determine a clear direction. We are also searching drainage areas, primarily south of the Freeman Trail.

Why Haven’t We Found Charles Yet?

Many have wondered why, despite such extensive search efforts, we haven’t been able to locate Charles. If you hike on Blood Mountain, this question answers itself. The terrain is extremely challenging—dense brush and thick rhododendron cover obscure the ground, while boulders, cliffs, and rocky outcroppings create countless hidden spaces. Even now, teams continue to discover items like boots and hiking poles in unexpected locations, concealed beneath vegetation or tucked into crevices that are difficult to see. The mountain’s rugged landscape means that much of the terrain remains obscured and hard to search thoroughly, despite everyone’s best efforts.

Technology Being Used:

We’ve also received many questions about our search technology. Currently, we are using:

• CalTopo app for mapping and coordinating search areas

• Bluehound app, which can detect Bluetooth signals from up to 300 feet away. We’ve been informed that Charles’s car key fob would remain detectable by this technology for up to two years.

We have used drone and analytical tools in previous searches as well.

Regarding Charles’s iPhone: We do not know the exact status of Charles’s iPhone at the time he went missing. Data from Charles’ vehicle reported that his phone was plugged in during his drive. In the first days after he went missing, calls to his phone would not connect or go to voicemail—instead, there were three brief tones before the line would go dead. We have worked with AT&T, Apple, Google, and other providers in attempts to locate him through his device, and these efforts have been unsuccessful. We believe his phone may not have been charging properly despite being plugged in, and was likely dead when he went missing, which would explain why we haven’t been able to use it to locate him. Ultimately, law enforcement is looking into the matter.

Ongoing Search Efforts:

Committed official teams from Union County continue searching for Charles. Volunteer teams are supporting these efforts and working diligently whenever conditions allow. Visibility is currently optimal before leaves return to the trees in April, though winter weather will affect the timing and effectiveness of search operations.

How to Help:

If you were hiking on Blood Mountain on November 11, 2025, especially between 1:30 PM and 5:00 PM, please come forward. Any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, could be crucial to our search efforts.

If you have any information regarding Charles’s whereabouts, please contact the Union County Emergency Operations Center at (706) 439-6091. If you are in Union County, Georgia, you may also dial 911.

Our partners are 501c3 organizations invited by Union County. If you are part of such a professional search organization interested in volunteering your services, please contact julia@bringcharleshome.com.

We remain deeply grateful for all your support, tips, and assistance as we continue our search efforts.

Search Operations and Community Support

We are grateful to all the teams who searched this week and weekend, including Georgia K-9 Search and Recovery, Backcountry Unit Search and Rescue (BUSAR), Knox County Search and Rescue, and dedicated community volunteers. We also learned that a non-English-speaking team conducted extensive research on Charles’s case and searched the mountain this weekend. Though we don’t know who they are, we are immensely grateful for their compassion and dedication, along with that of each and every person involved in this search.

Additionally, hikers on Blood Mountain have been praying for Charles and leaving flowers in his honor. These acts of kindness and remembrance have touched us deeply. We have added photos of these flowers to the gallery on this website.

We are witnessing something extraordinary: how one life of kindness can ripple outward, touching strangers who never knew Charles but feel compelled to honor him. In the faces of searchers who have given their time and energy, in the prayers of hikers we will never meet, in flowers left on a mountainside—we see his goodness has become a light that draws people to this mountain. The kindness he gave so freely throughout his life returns to us now, carried forward by compassionate hearts, and in their compassion, we see his spirit reflected back to us.

Search operations will continue next week, with family remaining on the ground to support the search efforts.

Search Operations Continue

Search efforts have continued since December 26th, with dog teams and ground searchers deployed throughout the week. We extend special thanks to Georgia K-9 Search and Recovery, BUSAR, and Knox County Search and Rescue, who have committed a team of over a dozen searchers to work through this weekend. We are also grateful to community volunteers, including former military personnel, who have been searching alongside our family with unwavering dedication. Their commitment to Charles as the year draws to a close is deeply moving.

As We Enter the New Year

Tonight, we mark the end of a year we never imagined—one that has brought profound loss alongside extraordinary acts of human kindness. As 2026 begins, we carry both grief and hope forward. We don’t know when we will find Charles, but we believe we will. Each search brings us closer. Each professional who commits their expertise brings us closer. Each person who refuses to give up brings us closer.

Charles taught us that the most important work requires patience, persistence, and faith in what is right. We honor him by continuing with that same steadfast spirit.

To everyone who has searched, supported, and held hope alongside us: thank you for walking into this new year with us. Your presence sustains us.

Search Operations Continue

Search efforts continued this weekend and every day this week. Family, BUSAR, Georgia K-9 Search and Recovery, and community volunteers have all been actively involved in ongoing operations.

Tomorrow, we will take a brief pause for the Christmas holiday. Ground search operations will resume on December 26th.

A Holiday Message

This Christmas season brings profound sadness as we celebrate without Charles. Yet we are reminded of the values he embodied and taught—faith, hope, kindness, and the enduring bonds of family and community. To everyone who has searched, prayed, and stood with us through this journey: you have been a light in our darkest days.

We wish you peace and the comfort of those you love this holiday season. We remain grateful and hopeful.

Search Operations Continue

K-9 and ground searches will resume this weekend, with members of Georgia K-9 Search and Recovery and Backcountry Unit Search and Rescue (BUSAR) participating in ground operations. Drone operations also continued throughout this week, providing ongoing aerial coverage.

We are especially grateful to BUSAR’s Jeff Wadley, whose steadfast presence has been integral to our search efforts. Jeff has been conducting meticulous analysis of terrain maps to identify priority areas for continued ground, drone, and K-9 searches throughout the winter months. His compassion and unwavering commitment have heartened us through very difficult moments.

We also extend our gratitude to Jeff Mogan of Georgia K-9 Search and Recovery, whose expertise and dedication have been invaluable.

We remain committed to finding Charles, strengthened by the exceptional professionalism and heart of these searchers and the unwavering support of our community.

We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the extraordinary organizations and individuals who have devoted their time, expertise, and hearts to this search. As we reflect on our efforts to bring Charles home, we want to honor these heroes who have provided their services at no cost to our family, demonstrating the very best of humanity in our darkest hours.

We extend our deepest thanks to:

County Fire, EMA, SAR Departments, and Law Enforcement:

• Union County Fire Department/EMA, E911, and Sheriff’s Office

• Fannin County Fire, EMA, and SAR Departments

• White County Fire, EMA, and SAR Departments

• Towns County Fire, EMA, and SAR Departments

• Hall County Fire, EMA, and SAR Departments

• Lumpkin County Fire, EMA, and SAR Departments

• Rabun County Fire, EMA, and SAR Departments

• Hiawassee Dam Fire, EMA, and SAR Departments

• Wolf Creek Fire, EMA, and SAR Departments

•. Knox County Search and Rescue

• Haywood County Search and Rescue

• Blount County Search and Rescue

Aviation Support:

• Civil Air Patrol

• GSP Aviation in Kennesaw, GA

• GSP Aviation in Athens, GA

K-9 Teams and Handlers:

• Georgia K-9 Search and Recovery

• Dr. Tracy “Trace” Sargent

• RATSAR K-9

Federal Partners:

• U.S. Forest Service

Search and Rescue Organizations:

• Backcountry Unit Search and Rescue (BUSAR)

• Christian Aid Ministries

• Team RATSAR

Community Partners:

• First Methodist Church of Union County

• Choestoe Baptist Church

• Mountain Crossings at Neel Gap

• Vogel State Park

• Hole in the Wall

• The Blairsville Restaurant

• The Sawmill Place

To the countless professional searchers, K-9 handlers, drone operators, former military personnel, experienced hikers, and volunteers who have braved challenging terrain, harsh weather, and difficult conditions—your dedication has been nothing short of extraordinary. You have searched in 20-degree temperatures, rain, sleet, and fog. You have rappelled down cliffs, covered miles of wilderness, and refused to give up.

To Union County’s leadership, especially Chief David Dyer, Captain Brent Long, and Sheriff Shawn Dyer—your compassion, professionalism, and continued commitment to search efforts mean the world to us. Your partnership reflects the exceptional character of Union County’s community.

We also acknowledge the dedicated volunteers from Blairsville to Dallas, the community members who have searched day after day, and everyone who has supported operations remotely.

If we have inadvertently omitted any organization or individual who has contributed to this search, please know that the oversight is unintentional, and our gratitude is no less profound. Every person and organization who has helped in any way holds a special place in our hearts.

We want to honor your tireless efforts and the profound impact you have made on our family. The legacy of your service to Charles and to our family will endure.

From the bottom of our hearts—thank you.

Today’s Operations

Severe conditions on Blood Mountain this morning brought windchill factors down to 10 degrees. Out of concern for safety, only limited teams were able to deploy. Family and those searchers who could work safely in thhe conditions did so with unwavering dedication, though we did not find Charles.

This weekend represented our most comprehensive coordinated effort to date—professional teams from six states, K-9 units, drone operations, and countless volunteers united in a single mission. We are thankful for every person who gave everything they had to this initiative.

Thank You for Your Support

For over a month now, our family has maintained a presence here in Union County and on Blood Mountain. The outpouring of support has sustained us through these difficult weeks. To everyone who has given their efforts, resources, and prayers—from the professional search teams to the volunteers who have walked these mountains with us and otherwise supported our search, from those who have donated to our efforts to those who have shared words of encouragement—we are so very grateful.

Thank You for Your Grace

We also want to thank you for your understanding during this time. There are text messages we haven’t answered, calls we haven’t returned, and kindnesses we haven’t properly acknowledged. Please know that every gesture has reached us, even when we haven’t had the capacity to respond. Your grace means everything.

Our Path Forward

We recognize that we cannot maintain our around-the-clock presence here indefinitely. We have responsibilities at home that need our attention. But our commitment to finding Charles continues. We are coordinating ongoing search operations from afar, including K-9 teams scheduled for the coming week, and we will return to search in person when we can.

Your Charles Stories

In these weeks, we’ve been reminded of something beautiful: how many lives Charles has touched, how brightly his legacy shines. To his students and all those he mentored: take heart. The wisdom he shared, the kindness he showed, the example he set—these live on in you. We’re gathering these memories at stories@BringCharlesHome.com. If Charles is part of your story, please share it with us. If you’ve posted a memory on social media, we’d be grateful if you would send it to this email as well—in the flood of messages and notifications, we know we’ve missed some, and we don’t want to lose a single story.

Looking Ahead

As our presence here shifts, so will our updates on this site. We won’t be posting daily, but we will share news whenever there are meaningful developments. We remain committed and hopeful, as we learn to hold the mission of bringing Charles home with the ache of unanswered questions and the grief of such a great loss.

Thank you for walking this path with us. Your kindness and solidarity matter more than you know.

For a letter by Charles’s law partner, please visit: https://www.hoschmorris.com/privacy-plus-news/a-letter-from-kate-morris

Weekend Operations: Full Deployment

Today brought the most comprehensive search operation we have coordinated to date in the second phase of our search. Professional search teams from Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Georgia deployed across Blood Mountain in a coordinated effort. We were blessed with excellent weather conditions—clear skies and favorable temperatures that allowed teams to work at full capacity. K-9 teams and drone operations provided additional coverage throughout the day.

We are cautiously encouraged to report that searchers may have identified a clue in an area of interest. While it remains inconclusive whether it relates to Charles, this discovery is being thoroughly investigated..

Tomorrow's forecast brings colder temperatures and wind, which may present challenges for some operations. Our search teams will assess conditions in the morning and make determination about safe deployment. We trust their professional judgement and remain optimistic that operations will continue to the extent conditions allow.

To every searcher who walked the trails, every K-9 handler, every drone operator, every volunteer who made this day possible—we are profoundly grateful. Your collective effort embodies the very values Charles has lived and taught: kindness, dedication to others, and unwavering commitment to doing what is right. You honor him with your actions, and your dedication means everything to us.

Operations continue as conditions permit tomorrow.

Weekend Operations Underway

Our large-scale search weekend began early this morning as committed teams deployed across Blood Mountain. Search teams from Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky, including Christian Aid Ministries, joined K-9 teams from RATSAR in comprehensive operations. Family and volunteers also participated in today's efforts. Drone operations continued throughout the day, providing aerial coverage of priority areas.

The early arrival and immediate deployment of these professional teams demonstrate the remarkable commitment to finding Charles. Operations continue tomorrow with the full complement of searchers and volunteer resources.

We are grateful for every team, every volunteer, and every hour devoted to this mission.

One Month

Today marks one month since Charles went missing. It was a quiet day on Blood Mountain as we devoted our efforts to organizing logistics for this weekend’s large-scale operation.

We are preparing to welcome approximately 65 professional searchers in addition to multiple K-9 teams. The coordination required for an operation of this scale is substantial, and today’s work ensures we can deploy these resources effectively.

As we mark this difficult milestone, we share this article from The Dallas Morning News as a tribute to Charles—the educator, attorney, friend, father, grandfather and remarkable person so many are working to bring home:

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/public-safety/2025/12/11/we-will-not-stop-search-for-charles-hosch-continues/

This Weekend: Operations Begin Tomorrow

While our large-scale operation was planned for Saturday and Sunday, the dedication of our search teams is already evident—many are arriving Friday and beginning operations early.

Approximately 65 professional searchers and multiple K-9 teams will deploy across Blood Mountain throughout the weekend. Union County is fully supporting this coordinated effort. Volunteers from Blairsville to Dallas will be participating in person and supporting operations remotely.

We remain determined. We remain hopeful.

Today's Search Operations

Today's efforts focused on targeted areas with strategic personnel deployment. Union County’s esteemed Chief David Dyer dispatched two of its finest searchers—we are grateful for the incomparable work of Daniel Dixon and Justin Davenport. A Blount County, Tennessee search team, including a K-9 unit, conducted operations in extremely challenging rocky terrain. Family and formidable volunteers also joined today's search efforts. Drone operations continued throughout the day.

We were also able to speak with another witness today, and we are deeply grateful for his cooperation and information.

The collaboration between Union County, Blount County, our volunteer teams, witness cooperation, and advanced technology reflects the comprehensive commitment to finding Charles.

This Weekend: Large-Scale Coordinated Operation

Final preparations remain underway for this weekend's large-scale search to bring Charles home before the holidays. Union County is fully supporting our efforts. Volunteers from Blairsville to Dallas have opportunities to participate in person or support operations remotely. Full details are available here.

Today’s Search Operations

We have encouraging news: Dr. Tracy “Trace” Sargent’s K-9 partner Willow detected another indication during today’s search. Family accompanied Dr. Sargent in the field. Drone operations were also conducted, continuing our comprehensive aerial coverage.

This second K-9 indication reinforces our focused search strategy and guides our continued efforts.

This Weekend: Large-Scale Coordinated Operation

Final preparations are underway for this weekend's large-scale search to bring Charles home before the holidays. Union County is fully supporting our efforts. Volunteers from Blairsville to Dallas will have opportunities to participate in person or support operations remotely. Full details are available here.

Today's Search Operations

We have positive news to report: Dr. Tracy "Trace" Sargent and her K-9 partner Taz detected a new indication during today's search. Favorable wind conditions aided the K-9 operations. Family accompanied Dr. Sargent in the field.

Despite challenging weather conditions with fog and sleet, we were able to conduct drone operations alongside ground search efforts throughout the day.

Union County continues to provide invaluable support through daily briefings and coordination. Additionally, Union County independently dispatched searchers yesterday and today, demonstrating their ongoing commitment to finding Charles.

This Weekend: Large-Scale Coordinated Operation

Final preparations are underway for this weekend's large-scale search to bring Charles home before the holidays. Union County is fully supporting our efforts. Volunteers from Blairsville to Dallas will have opportunities to participate in person or support operations remotely. Full details are available here.

Today’s Search Operations

Knox County Rescue led today’s operations, bringing extensive expertise to our coordination efforts. Our expert K-9 team led by Dr. Tracy “Trace” Sargent continued systematic coverage of priority areas. We also deployed additional technology, including advanced drone operations and specialized equipment.

Next Weekend: Large-Scale Coordinated Operation

Planning continues for next weekend’s large-scale search to bring Charles home before the holidays. Union County is fully supporting our efforts. Volunteers from Blairsville to Dallas will have opportunities to participate in person or support operations remotely. Full details are available here.

Help Us Bring Charles Home: For details, click here.

Today’s Search Operations

Our expert K-9 team led by Dr. Tracy “Trace” Sargent returned today, clearing additional areas and furthering our systematic coverage. Team BUSAR, whose professionalism, compassion, and thoroughness have been exceptional, conducted comprehensive sweeps of two new zones and has committed to returning for continued operations. We also completed multiple drone sweeps of areas of interest.

Understanding Search Methodology

An important note regarding search methodology: while locating Charles remains our primary objective, cleared areas represent significant progress. We have learned from our search and rescue professionals that “clearing” an area—rendering it highly statistically unlikely that Charles is there—requires multiple searches rather than a single pass. The more frequently and carefully an area is searched, the greater our confidence in its status. Today’s cleared areas will inform our strategic priorities moving forward.

Growing Resources

Each new team has brought valuable insights, and we look forward to welcoming additional teams this week.

Next Weekend: Large-Scale Coordinated Operation

We are preparing for a large-scale search and rescue operation next weekend—a coordinated effort to bring Charles home before the holidays. This operation will represent one of our most comprehensive deployments of resources and personnel to date. Union County is fully supporting our efforts. Importantly, there will be opportunities for volunteers from Blairsville to Dallas to participate in person or support operations remotely. Details will be shared on this page tomorrow. Next weekend represents our strongest coordinated effort yet to bring Charles home.

Today, an expert K-9 team conducted thorough searches of previously covered areas. These zones have now been cleared, with the dog detecting no trace of Charles—important information that allows us to focus resources on other priority areas. Family, including Charles’s law partner Kate Morris (who has been part of all search efforts referenced in previous updates as “family”), maintained ground presence on the trail.

From an operational perspective, we have made significant progress in expanding our network of support. Additional search and rescue professional organizations (including a rope rappelling team) have committed to joining our efforts in the coming days, bringing fresh expertise and resources to the mission, as well as tactical ideas. Union County continues to provide advice, support, and discrete teams — our list of thank-you’s to them only grows longer.

While today’s K-9 results require us to refine our search focus, the growing coalition of professional teams and the systematic elimination of searched areas represent important steps forward. We remain determined and hopeful as we continue this comprehensive effort.

Today brought intensive search operations and important strategic enhancements. We have augmented our leadership team with experienced search and rescue professionals who have successfully directed prominent missing persons cases. This additional expertise elevates our strategic planning and operational coordination.

In the field, K-9 teams methodically covered priority areas while volunteers conducted extensive ground searches. Notably, a former Navy SEAL joined us in an ambitious off-trail effort, covering more than nine miles of challenging wilderness terrain. Drone operations surveyed targeted areas from above, providing a comprehensive aerial perspective.

This level of expertise, endurance, and dedication—from leadership to boots on the ground to eyes in the sky—exemplifies the remarkable commitment we continue to receive. We remain grateful and determined.

We are deeply encouraged by today's meeting with Union County officials, who have reaffirmed their commitment to Charles's search. Despite the pause of intensive operations, Union County has pledged to continue discrete search efforts in defined areas, working in close coordination with our volunteer teams. This continued partnership reflects the exceptional character of Union County's leadership and search and rescue community.

Today's field operations involved nearly a dozen volunteers, including professional K-9 teams, former military searchers, and experienced hikers. The recent substantial rainfall has dramatically improved conditions—oak leaf fall and compaction have significantly enhanced ground visibility, allowing more thorough examination of previously searched terrain.

We are grateful to the U.S. Forest Service for authorizing continued drone operations in the wilderness area. We have also received a response to our open records request and are actively pursuing that information.

Enhanced visibility, sustained inter-agency collaboration, and new information streams give us reason for continued hope and determination.

Following a morning coordination meeting with specialized search and rescue leaders, we deployed alongside Knox County Rescue to search targeted areas on Blood Mountain. Working with this exceptional team has been inspiring—their expertise and heart are evident in every aspect of their work. These are difficult days, but we are sustained by the extraordinary support we continue to receive from professional organizations, dedicated volunteers, and caring friends both near and far. We are deeply grateful.

We are deeply grateful to Knox County Rescue, who deployed their team today to conduct fresh search operations on Blood Mountain. Their expertise and commitment represent a significant addition to our efforts. Community members and family also continued searching throughout the day. The collaboration between professional rescue organizations and dedicated volunteers reflects the extraordinary commitment to finding Charles.

Every morning since we’ve begun the search, we have been greeted by a hungry rooster named Frank. Frank lives in the parking lot at the trailhead of Byron Herbert Reece trail. If you are an animal lover who is in the area, we will help you catch Frank and take him home for the winter. As Charles would say, “Oh, Frank!” For more details and the latest updates, click here.

Community members, volunteers, and family searched the trails today despite the rain. Tomorrow, professional search operations will resume, strengthening our coordinated efforts.

The momentum continues. We’ve welcomed another nonprofit search and rescue organization to our efforts, and by Monday, we’ll have expanded teams in the field.

We continue our systematic search for Charles. Today's efforts focused on drone operations with newly deployed analytics tools, allowing us to survey the terrain with greater precision. We have been encouraged by volunteer search and rescue organizations reaching out to offer support, and we need more help. If you have SAR experience, drone capabilities, K-9 teams, or other specialized skills, please contact us at julia@bringcharleshome.com. Your knowledge and resources are invaluable to our efforts. Our resolve remains unshaken.

Thanksgiving Message from Hosch & Morris, PLLC

On this Thanksgiving Day, Charles's law firm has shared a message of gratitude—for the search and rescue heroes who have worked tirelessly in the Georgia mountains, for the community that has rallied around our family, and most of all, for Charles himself and the life of purpose he has lived.

Read the firm's full Thanksgiving statement: https://www.hoschmorris.com/privacy-plus-news/thanksgiving-2025

We remain grateful for everyone who continues to search alongside us.

The search continues. Thank you for not giving up.

#BringCharlesHome

We have entered the second phase of our search for Charles with enhanced coordination and expertise. Today, we enlisted a distinguished leader in search and rescue operations to guide our continuing efforts. Two dog teams, along with a dedicated group of volunteers, conducted targeted searches across Blood Mountain. Seeing this continued determination strengthens our resolve and our hope. We look forward to working with our new professional team starting on Monday.

We’ve launched this dedicated website to help bring Charles home. Please also follow @BringCharlesHome on Facebook and Instagram.