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Authorities find body of missing 61-year-old man last seen at the Primland Resort

Bruce Rubin’s body was found off a bluff in the Roaring Creek Gorge

PATRICK COUNTY, Va.UPDATE (July 12, 2021 - 10:40 p.m.)

The search for the missing 61-year-old man who was last seen at the Primland Resort has come to a tragic end Monday night.

Deputies with the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office and Primland employees found 61-year-old Bruce Rubin’s body off a bluff in the Roaring Creek Gorge, authorities said in a Facebook post.

Rubin was reported missing on July 2 after he went jogging and never returned.

Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith said the location where Rubin’s body was found was not near a marked trail.

Deputies, search and rescue personnel and rappel teams with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management recovered his body from the gorge around 8 p.m.

Authorities said his body was transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Roanoke.


UPDATE (July 7, 2021 - 8:25 p.m.)

The search for the missing 61-year-old man who was last seen at the Primland Resort has been temporarily suspended due to forecasted rains.

“We are not giving up on Bruce, we owe it to his family to continue, and we will,” Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith said in a Facebook post.

Smith said the wet conditions the rain may bring will make it too dangerous for searchers as they continue looking in areas with rugged terrain and elevation changes.

Bruce Rubin, 61, was reported missing on Friday after he went jogging and never returned.

Smith said the search has been reduced from about 150 people to 20, emphasizing that many areas were covered multiple times since Friday.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Investigator Oscar Tejeda at 276-694-3161 or the Primland Resort at 276-222-3825.


UPDATE (July 6, 2021 - 11:14 a.m.)

Law enforcement and rescue teams are still searching the grounds of the Primland Resort for a man last seen Friday morning.

“Because of the rugged terrain and great elevation changes, specialized ropes teams from throughout the region are being utilized,” explained Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith in a Facebook post.

Bruce Rubin, 61, was reported missing on Friday after he went jogging and never returned.

The following agencies and volunteer groups have participated in the search: the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the Patrick County Department of Emergency Management, Patrick County Patriots, Primland Resort employees, as well as multiple volunteer fire and rescue agencies from throughout Patrick County and numerous search and rescue teams from throughout Virginia and North Carolina.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Investigator Oscar Tejeda at 276-694-3161 or the Primland Resort at 276-222-3825.


ORIGINAL STORY

The Patrick County Sheriff’s Office needs your help locating a missing 61-year-old man who was last seen Friday morning.

Authorities said they received the report of a missing man from the Primland Resort in Vesta, Virginia at about 7:20 p.m. According to deputies, resort guest Bruce Rubin went jogging at 11 a.m. and never returned.

Deputies report that Rubin is 5 feet, 9 inches tall, weighs about 200 pounds and has short grey hair and a beard.

First responders, volunteers and search and rescue teams from throughout the region began to search Friday evening and are continuing their search Saturday.

“We are exploring any and all potential leads at this point, and we have the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) directing the large-scale search effort,” said Patrick County Sheriff Dan Smith.

Anyone with information on the individual described is urged to contact the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office at 276-694-3161 or Primland Resort at 276- 222-3825.


About the Authors
Jazmine Otey headshot

Jazmine Otey joined the 10 News team in February 2021.

Nicole Del Rosario headshot

Nicole Del Rosario joined WSLS 10 in August 2020.

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