FAYETTE COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) — A man reported missing while searching for mushrooms was later found dead in a wooded area beneath a power line right-of-way in Fayette County, according to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Jess McMullen said Fayette County 911 first received a call during the early evening hours of April 21, 2026, regarding a possible deceased individual along Lick Fork Road. Deputies responded but were unable to locate the caller or confirm the report, and the search was called off due to darkness.
The following afternoon, April 22, 911 dispatchers received a report of a missing man who had been dropped off the previous evening along Paint Creek Road to search for mushrooms. Deputies returned to the area and deployed the department’s drone unit, which located a deceased individual in a nearby power line right-of-way.
Authorities secured the scene and confirmed the man was dead. Preliminary findings indicate the individual may have been attempting to cut a transmission line when he came into contact with electricity.
The man has been identified as 60-year-old Jimmie D. Smith. His body has been sent to the West Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy.
The incident remains under investigation.
