(Chad Seger, of Asheville, was last known to have been in the Black Balsam area of Pisgah National Forest on Monday, Oct 12. (Photo courtesy of Haywood County Sheriff’s Office)

Rescue crews in Haywood County, N.C. are asking people to avoid a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway as they search for a hiker that was reported missing on Friday, October 16. 

Chad Seger, 27, of Asheville, was last heard from on Monday, October 12, when he spoke briefly with a family member. His car was located Friday at the Black Balsam parking lot off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Emergency Management officials are asking the public to avoid the Black Balsam area from Highway 276 and 215 as crews search for Seger. “We are handing out his picture to everyone that [we] see,” Director of Haywood County Emergency Services Greg Shuping told ABC 13 News.

Seger is an