Current:Home > News4th victim in Alaska landslide is 11-year-old girl; 2 people still missing, officials say -Secure Growth Solutions
4th victim in Alaska landslide is 11-year-old girl; 2 people still missing, officials say
View
Date:2025-04-17 08:06:29
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! (74779)
Related
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- DeSantis unveils border plan focused on curbing illegal immigration
- Accepting Responsibility for a Role in Climate Change
- Dispute over seats in Albuquerque movie theater leads to deadly shooting, fleeing filmgoers
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- Ports Go Electric in Drive to Decarbonize and Cut Pollution
- US Declares Greenhouse Gases a Danger to Public Health and Welfare
- Here are the best U.S. cities for young Americans to start their career
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- That ’70s Show Alum Danny Masterson Found Guilty of Rape
Ranking
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- South Miami Approves Solar Roof Rules, Inspired by a Teenager
- U.S. Renewable Energy Jobs Employ 800,000+ People and Rising: in Charts
- Small businesses got more than $200 billion in potentially fraudulent COVID loans, report finds
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- The Third Rail of Climate Change: Climate Refugees
- Video shows shark grabbing a man's hand and pulling him off his boat in Florida Everglades
- Get 5 Lipsticks for the Price 1: Clinique Black Honey, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk, YSL, and More
Recommendation
Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
17 Vacation Must-Haves Under $50 From UnSun Cosmetics, Sunnylife, Viski & More
How New York Is Building the Renewable Energy Grid of the Future
Pickleball injuries could cost Americans up to $500 million this year, analysis finds
Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
In New York City, ‘Managed Retreat’ Has Become a Grim Reality
Judge Blocks Keystone XL Pipeline, Says Climate Impact Can’t Be Ignored
American Climate Video: Floodwaters Test the Staying Power of a ‘Determined Man’