By CHAD COOPER
Authorities are asking for the public’s help in locating a man who gained national attention after surviving Hurricane Helene on Georgia’s Tybee Island and is now reported missing after traveling to Buchanan County.
According to a report by WTOC in Savannah, Georgia, Scotty Scarberry, known to many as “Huck Finn,” has not been seen since Sunday, July 13.
Scarberry made national headlines in September 2024 after he and his dog, Creedy, survived Hurricane Helene while living aboard a sailboat near Tybee Island. The pair washed ashore near U.S. Highway 80 during the storm, and national news outlets widely shared their story.
According to WTOC, Scarberry left Tybee Island earlier this year and traveled north to Kentucky, where he had been staying at his uncle’s property.
Family members told WTOC they later learned Scarberry planned to explore abandoned mines.
Roland Scarberry, Scotty’s uncle, told WTOC that his nephew specifically said he intended to enter abandoned mines in Virginia.
“He said he was going in the mines, and I honestly believe that if that’s where he said he was going, that’s where he was going,” Roland Scarberry told WTOC.
The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to WTOC that deputies requested assistance from the Virginia Department of Energy’s Mines Rescue Team after receiving information that Scarberry may have entered an abandoned mine in the Paw/Paw section of Buchanan County.
According to the sheriff’s office, the mine entrance was excavated by the rescue team, but no sign of Scarberry was found.
Family members remain especially concerned because Scarberry reportedly left behind his dog, Creedy, something relatives say would be highly unusual if he intended to be away for an extended period.
Authorities continue to investigate Scarberry’s disappearance and are asking anyone who may have information about his whereabouts to contact the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office at 276-935-2313.
Information for this story was obtained in part from reporting by WTOC in Savannah, Georgia.
