BPR News has confirmed: There were never hundreds (or even dozens) of people trapped or stranded in a church in Candler, which is a small, picturesque mountain town just 10 miles southwest of Asheville.
TLDR; Both Buncombe County officials (where Candler is located) and state officials coordinating rescue operations in the mountains say this never happened. Even the helicopter pilot who got dragged into the false claim has said it didn't happen. BPR called the Baptist church where it all allegedly took place: They say it didn't happen.
Now, here's the full story:
The miraculous tale would've been powerfully hopeful in a time when a glimpse of humanity can cut through the overwhelming devastation and pain — and make it almost bearable to take a few more steps on the road to recovery after Hurricane Helene.
A miracle had taken place in Candler, North Carolina, they said.
First, it was 2,000 people — then it was 200 people — who had been rescued by a volunteer helicopter crew after being stranded in a church for six days without food. Keep the prayers (and donations on Venmo) coming, the woman who started this rumor posted on Facebook last week.
Plenty prayed, and that would be welcome in any case.
But then others started sharing the story and it went viral — including the link to the woman's Venmo profile for donations.
"These (rumors) are not true. Our 911 call center did not receive any call to that effect. We have no information to substantiate that. That is not an accurate rumor," said Lillian Govus, head of Buncombe County government's Communications and Public Engagement Department. That comment came during a news briefing on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the church — where people who had glommed on to this tall tale said the rescue took place — had, for days, been running a critical relief and supplies operation in its parking lot. Church-goers and volunteers, working with donated items, have helped countless people access food, water, diapers, and other essentials. They're working almost around the clock. And evidence of that was easy to find just as this rumor took hold: The church has been posting information and photos about the relief work in their parking lot.
But no one seemed to look there. And the rumor caught like wildfire. Worse, many of those leading the charge (including the original poster) have delivered other missiles of misinformation: Like that "the media" is lying about conditions on the ground; that FEMA is blocking civilian support; and that airports have crowded runways with flightless government aircraft, in an effort to stymie good-hearted volunteers.
Below, we'll lay out exactly how we know that the church story was made up. But first, some insight into why this matters and what aspects are most important.
Who started the Candler church rescue rumor?
Someone who appears to be legitimately supporting volunteer relief work in Western North Carolina posted a very convincing report about something she allegedly heard on responders' emergency communications radio.
She posted: "They just radio'd and said they found 2000 more people who are stranded at a church in Candler, NC, who haven't eaten in 6 days.... We literally ran back and forth and filled the chopper as fast as we could!... Keep the donations coming if you are able." Later, she updated the post to say it was 200 people.
In reality, it was zero people in this circumstance that didn't exist.
BPR News isn't identifying the woman in this story because we haven't reached out to her for comment and the purpose of the article is to dispel problematic rumors that have been running rampant since the floods in Western North Carolina. She's acknowledged in social media comments — as others have attacked her — that she didn't have an accurate story. She maintains that she's helping raise money for legitimate relief work.
What proof is there that this rumor is false?
First, from the North Carolina state government's joint information center, which is tracking all rescues by military, FEMA, fire departments, law enforcement officers, and others: "We do not have any information to confirm the report of 200 individuals rescued from Pole Creek Baptist Church. More than 6,400 people have been rescued, evacuated or assisted by search and rescue teams since the storm hit."
BPR News spoke briefly with someone from Pole Creek Baptist Church this week. She said they're aware of the rumor and that it absolutely never happened. You can look into the church's recent donation and volunteer activity (and find out how to donate) on their Facebook page here.
Next, the lead local agency — Buncombe County government — says the alleged Candler church rescue didn't happen. Above, we quote a spokesperson who provided that statement in response to BPR's question this week.
And lastly, the helicopter pilot (who we are also not naming because we haven't interviewed him) responded to the uproar on Facebook, saying:
"No.... no one was stranded. There were 2,000 people without food. I was able to get the first load in Wednesday evening. The police department helped me unload. The church as a drop point for the food. They are well provisioned now... no one was stranded. Just hungry."
Why does it matter if it helped people feel a little better or hopeful?
Well, the truth always matters.
In this case, as the rumor went biszerk, it was co-mingled with a slew of other half-truths, conspiracies, and misinformation.
Pointing out that this happened — and how and why it happened — is important as more harmful rumors or lies emerge about Western North Carolina and the disaster response.
In the case of the Candler church tale, the original poster's intent isn't known. But what we do know is that leaders — both Republican and Democrat — across the region have begged the public to stop proliferating unverified facts.
This week, Republican U.S. Congressman Chuck Edwards (whose district covers most of the mountains here) wrote to constituents in a lengthy email: "I encourage you to remember that everything you see on Facebook, X, or any other social media platform is not always fact. Please make sure you are fact checking what you read online with a reputable source."
In the email, Edwards and his team debunked eight rumors — most about FEMA, the FAA, and egregious lies involving government weather control. You can read that entire letter from Edwards here.
