Current:Home > News4th victim in Alaska landslide is 11-year-old girl; 2 people still missing, officials say -Thrive Financial Network
4th victim in Alaska landslide is 11-year-old girl; 2 people still missing, officials say
View
Date:2025-04-12 01:29:39
Authorities recovered the body of 11-year-old Kara Heller Saturday night from debris left behind by a massive landslide in southeast Alaska that killed three other people and left two others missing, according to the Associated Press.
Heller is the fourth person confirmed killed by last Monday's landslide. The others were the girl's parents, Timothy Heller, 44, and Beth Heller, 36, and her sister Mara Heller, 16.
Rescue crews found Mara's body in the initial search, and the bodies of Timothy and Beth were found late Tuesday by a drone operator.
Search crews are looking for a third child still missing from the Heller family, Derek, 12, and neighbor Otto Florschutz, 65, the Alaska Department of Public Safety told the Associated Press.
Alaska State Troopers said in a statement last Tuesday that three homes were in the direct path of the disaster around 8:50 p.m. local time Monday near Wrangell, a fishing community with just over 2,000 residents about 155 miles southeast of Juneau.
Alaska landslide:Landslide leaves 3 dead and trail of damage in remote community of Wrangell, Alaska
Alaska landslide: search and rescue efforts
First responders were on the scenes searching for survivors, the troopers said. Authorities urged residents to contact local police if they know someone who is missing.
The landslide cut off access and power to about 75 homes, the state emergency management office said, and boats have been taking residents from the cut-off area to an unaffected part of town.
Photos posted on social media showed barren earth near the top of the mountain all the way down to the Pacific Ocean and remnants of destroyed homes.
Aaron Jacobs, a hydrologist and meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Juneau, told the Associated Press Wrangell received nearly 2 inches of rain from 1 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and wind gusts of up to 60 mph in higher elevations.
The storm was part of a system that moved through southeast Alaska and brought heavy snow to Haines and blizzard-like conditions to Juneau, Jacobs said. Areas farther south had minor flooding.
Landslides were reported near Ketchikan and on Prince of Wales Island. KTUU, a local TV station in Alaska, reported several landslides happening across the state that damaged homes, caused power outages and closed major highways.
Search suspended:5-year-old girl dies, search suspended for man swept out by California wave: Coast Guard
veryGood! (62)
Related
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- Biden wants airlines to pay passengers whose flights are hit by preventable delays
- ESPN announces layoffs as part of Disney's moves to cut costs
- Fox isn't in the apology business. That could cost it a ton of money
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- The Fed admits some of the blame for Silicon Valley Bank's failure in scathing report
- The Year in Climate Photos
- The banking system that loaned billions to SVB and First Republic
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- More Mountain Glacier Collapses Feared as Heat Waves Engulf the Northern Hemisphere
Ranking
- Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
- Cyberattacks on health care are increasing. Inside one hospital's fight to recover
- The Fed admits some of the blame for Silicon Valley Bank's failure in scathing report
- Pamper Yourself With the Top 18 Trending Beauty Products on Amazon Right Now
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- Warming Trends: Nature and Health Studies Focused on the Privileged, $1B for Climate School and Old Tires Detour Into Concrete
- Why Sarah Jessica Parker Was Upset Over Kim Cattrall's AJLT Cameo News Leak
- Finding Out These Celebrities Used to Date Will Set Off Fireworks in Your Brain
Recommendation
Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
Ecuador’s High Court Rules That Wild Animals Have Legal Rights
Hurricane Michael Hit the Florida Panhandle in 2018 With 155 MPH Winds. Some Black and Low-Income Neighborhoods Still Haven’t Recovered
In a surprise, the job market grew strongly in April despite high interest rates
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
Warming Trends: Butterflies Bounce Back, Growing Up Gay Amid High Plains Oil, Art Focuses on Plastic Production
In a surprise, the job market grew strongly in April despite high interest rates
When the Power Goes Out, Who Suffers? Climate Epidemiologists Are Now Trying to Figure That Out