JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) – After seven months, Steven Cloyd’s family has found closure regarding his disappearance during Hurricane Helene.

“It’s closure for our family,” Steven’s brother, Gary Cloyd, said. “My sister in law can now have some peace.”

The search for him concluded after more than 200 days on May 1st, when officials from Washington County, Tennessee, reported the discovery of a body along the Nolichucky River.

Gary said he had no doubts about the identity.

“I knew it was my brother,” he said. “The moment I was told.”

It wasn’t an easy task for the teams working to find Steven.

“We selected our specific zone and grid,” Special Operations Division Chief Brandon Chambers explained. “And then we proceeded to search it thoroughly that day. We continued this process every single day for three and a half to four months.”

Chambers said the search expanded beyond Washington County.

“We have 26 miles of river spanning from one county line to the other,” he stated. “From Unicoi to Greene County, it covers about 26 miles, which makes for an extensive and costly area to search.”

Washington County EMA director Evan Clyburn said the discovery brought many emotions.

“It was a sense of relief,” he said. “But it was an overwhelming sadness as well. You know, we’ve lost somebody, but joyfulness as well, that we could bring closure to a family.”

Gary said the work of Chambers and his team has not gone unnoticed by his family.

“[Chambers] is part of our family now,” Gary said. “The love he had for our brother, we didn’t realize how much time he was devoting to it.”

Clyburn said his department put in work not made public on their social media.

“I get a lot of questions like, ‘why didn’t you put that out?'” he said. “Well, it’s not about us being out in the elements, it’s about what we’re doing.”

Gary said he felt a sense of peace when he visited the location where his brother’s body was found.

“It was hard to explain the warmth I had,” he said. “It was just unreal.”

To say farewell, Gary shared on last message.

“I love you, brother,” he said. “And I’m here for your family for the rest of my life.”

Nancy Tucker is still missing from Washington County. Emergency officials said they will continue their efforts to locate Tucker and provide her family with closure.