20-year-old North Carolina man missing in Croatan National Forest

CROATAN NATIONAL FOREST, N.C. (WTVD) -- Emergency crews are searching for a 20-year-old man who went missing in the Croatan National Forest in eastern North Carolina on Saturday.

Joshua Kenneth Clauson, 20, went missing on Saturday during a walk with a family member around 10 a.m., according to the Carteret County Sheriff's office.

Authorities told ABC-affiliate WCTI that the family member that entered the forest with Clauson found a way out by listening to the sound of passing cars on a nearby road.

Clauson is described as having red hair and was last seen wearing a khaki tank top and blue jeans.

"Timing is always an issue when you're trying to find someone who may be lost in the woods," Sheriff Buck said. "They don't have food or water or other resources available to them. We want to try and find the person as quickly as we can so they don't become dehydrated or suffer from any of the elements."

Emergency response crews have dispatched more than 30 people and three K9s to help in the search or Clauson.

"This area is a thick wooded area, very dense and hard to maneuver through," Sheriff Buck explained. "Trying to track someone through the thick wooded area is often a difficult task, certainly a slow task, so the dogs are extremely helpful."