26-year-old man found dead on Christmas after going missing, authorities say

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WHNS/Gray News) - A 26-year-old man was found dead on Christmas after going missing in South Carolina, according to authorities.

Authorities were called to respond to Highway 221 and Whitney Road around 1:25 p.m.

The Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office identified a body found in a lake on Christmas as 26-year-old Benjamin Tyler Hensley.

Hensley was previously reported missing on Dec. 17.

His family said before he was found, they believed he was going through a mental health episode. His mother said Christmas Eve was his 26th birthday.

The initial investigation did not show evidence of foul play.

Tate Meatworks, a butcher shop in Spartanburg where Hensley worked, gave the following response on Facebook after his death:

“It is with an incredibly heavy, broken heart that I sit here typing this now. We have lost Tyler, and we are closing for the weekend. We will re-open Monday. I am sorry for any inconvenience, but this is a soul crusher I am just not willing to work through. Please forgive. Merry Christmas to all.”