JOHNSTON COUNTY, N.C. — Johnston County deputies are searching Monday for what a fisherman describes as a body in a creek.

Henry Gooch Jr. was fishing in Black Creek Sunday afternoon and pulled up a strange object.

"I'm pretty sure it was a body, " Gooch said.

While he was fishing, Gooch cast a line and thought it was caught on a log. But when he pulled it up he saw a grisly image.

"(It) just looked like shoulders and half of a face," Gooch said.

Gooch said he was so scared he just let go and went for help.

Deputies hit the water just before dusk Sunday. As the sun went down, they brought out flashlights but found nothing.

"We will be here with the boat again," said Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell. "We'll have divers that can go under water and see if we can actually locate ... this body."