Celebration of life doesn’t mean all hope of finding woman is gone

Nov. 16—It’s been 28 days since Kim Smith Ashby of Sanford was swept away in the floodwaters of the Elk River in Avery County during Hurricane Helene.

She’s not been seen nor have any remains been found, according to her daughter, Jessica Meidinger of Pittsboro.

Her family knows that Kim, a seventh-grade math teacher at West Lee Middle School, is likely not alive, but they’re not giving up all hope. Still, the family seeks a sense of closure, Meidinger said.

A celebration of life for Kim is scheduled Nov. 23 in Broadway.

“We’re celebrating her life. It’s an important milestone but it doesn’t mean the search will stop,” Meidinger said. “It’s important to find her and bring her home.”

Kim and her husband, Rod Ashby, traveled to Avery County on Sept. 26 to ensure that their recently completed dream home in the Elk Park community on the Elk River was secure.

But on Sept. 27, the remains of Hurricane Helene dropped heavy rains in western North Carolina. Several counties and towns suffered damage, especially Asheville.

That morning the couple were readying for breakfast when the massive wall of water hit the house, collapsing a portion of the back.

Kim and Rod held hands briefly, but the water separated them.

Rod managed to get to a riverbank and climb to safety. He spent several hours looking for Kim and the dogs but there was no sign of either.

The search continues, but there has been one obstacle. A pile of debris along the Elk River in the area of a state park hasn’t been checked yet, Meidinger said.

“There’s a chance she is in a pile of debris in Waterfalls Park. The forest rangers have said to cease and desist. It’s a state park and it’s closed.”

However, Meidinger said Friday morning that the search will go on in the park.

“… We’ve since cleared this up and we’re able to search without a defined search window, which is good,” she said.

Meanwhile, Rod is coping as best he can.

“It’s a daily battle for sure,” Meidinger said. “He had surgery on his shoulder where he tore his rotator cuff when the house collapsed on them.”

However, Rod, whose truck was destroyed in the flood, saw one online and got a loan for it only to find it was a scam to the tune of $40,000.

“Navy Federal officials forgave his loans, so he’s not out any money. They’ve been fantastic, and Rod has said nothing but great things about them,” Meidinger said.

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