Missing Coalton fire chief found safe near Wilksville after 24 hours

Relief replaced uncertainty Tuesday night when Coalton Volunteer Fire Chief Andrew Kincaid was found safe near Wilksville after being missing for about 24 hours. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said Kincaid, 38, of Jackson, was located around 7 p.m. by a pedestrian in Vinton County.

The concern began after family members reported they had not heard from or seen Kincaid since Monday, April 27. By Tuesday afternoon, Jackson County deputies had issued a BOLO, or be-on-the-lookout alert, as the search widened and posts asking for help circulated quickly online. The family’s social-media request had been shared more than 1,000 times in four hours, and by the time of the follow-up report it had been reposted more than 1,500 times.

Law enforcement had flagged the situation as especially urgent because Kincaid held a concealed carry permit, may have had access to weapons and was believed to have had a radio with him. That detail helped explain why the missing-person alert drew so much attention from residents across the area, including people in Vinton County who saw the search come close to home.

Chief Deputy Scott Conley confirmed that Kincaid was found safe and thanked the public for helping spread the alert. A civilian encounter ended the search: a pedestrian located Kincaid near Wilksville, turning a tense day of concern into a positive outcome for both counties.

The case also carried added weight because Kincaid is a familiar public safety name in Coalton. In November 2024, Coalton Village Council promoted him from acting fire chief to fire chief for the Coalton Volunteer Fire Department, making him a visible leader for the community he serves. His disappearance briefly placed that leadership role under a very different kind of spotlight, with neighbors and first responders watching closely until he was found.

For Vinton County residents, the key fact was simple and immediate: the search ended inside the county, near Wilksville, and the missing fire chief was safe. In a region where volunteer responders often move between town lines and serve overlapping communities, the rapid civilian sighting, the sheriff’s alert and the online response showed how quickly local networks can mobilize when a well-known public safety figure is in trouble.