Charles James Lau
Court Officer Sheriff Jim Lau was killed when his vehicle was swept away by unexpected rushing water from the Cullasaja River during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Officer Lau’s body was recovered about three miles from where his truck was last seen, and his vehicle was located a week later.
Hurricane Helene was the deadliest storm to hit North Carolina. The heavy rains and damaging winds caused major landslides and flash flooding, damaging over 6,000 miles of roads and knocking out power to over 900,000 residents throughout western North Carolina. As of February 2025, over 100 deaths in North Carolina were attributed to Hurricane Helene, with two of the deaths from Macon County.
Officer Lau was a United States Air Force Vietnam War veteran and had served with the Macon County Sheriff’s Office for over 11 years. He previously served with the Volusia County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office for 23 years and the Cody, Wyoming, Airport Police Department for five years. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, two stepsons, a stepdaughter, and four grandchildren.
Source: ODMP
https://www.odmp.org/officer/27329-court-officer-charles-james-lau