Search efforts 'stepped back' to find missing Charlotte man

GLENDALE SPRINGS, NC (WBTV) – Search efforts for a missing Charlotte man were “set back” Thursday morning, according to the Ashe County Sheriff's Office.

David Kuklentz, 54, was last seen around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, June 15, at the Northwest Trading Post near the Glendale Springs Fire Department.

Deputies said Kuklentz drove through the Jefferson area while visiting extended family in Ashe County and never returned.

About six hours after she left, she was reported missing, and just 30 minutes after the missing persons report, officers found her vehicle along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

After three days of searching, authorities said they found no trace of Kuklentz but do not suspect foul play.

“Despite an extensive search effort that utilized a multitude of resources, no trace of Mr. Kuklentz was found,” said Ashe County Emergency Management Coordinator Patty Gambill. “Therefore, unfortunately, research efforts have been suspended until new leads surface.”

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Kuklentz is 6 feet tall and weighs approximately 180 pounds. When he was last seen, he was wearing a white and black short-sleeved shirt, gray shorts and flip-flops.

Anyone with information regarding his location should call the Sheriff's Office at (336) 846-5600.

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