Current:Home > Finance4th victim in Alaska landslide is 11-year-old girl; 2 people still missing, officials say -Aspire Financial Strategies
4th victim in Alaska landslide is 11-year-old girl; 2 people still missing, officials say
View
Date:2025-04-27 18:50:54
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! (8515)
Related
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Mary Peltola, the first Alaska Native heading to Congress, journeys home to the river
- Everything Happening With the Stephen Smith Homicide Investigation Since the Murdaugh Murders
- Climate change is forcing Zimbabwe to move thousands of animals in the wild
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Kourtney Kardashian Supports Travis Barker at Coachella as Blink-182 Returns to the Stage
- How Vanessa Hudgens Knew Cole Tucker Was the One to Marry
- The Exact Moment Love Is Blind’s Paul Decided What to Tell Micah at Altar
- Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
- Alpine avalanche in Italy leaves 7 known dead
Ranking
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- This $13 Pack of Genius Scrunchies on Amazon Can Hide Cash, Lip Balm, Crystals, and So Much More
- The strange underground economy of tree poaching
- A record amount of seaweed is choking shores in the Caribbean
- Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
- Opinion: Blistering summers are the future
- Check Out the Harry Potter Stars, Then & Now
- Reese Witherspoon and Ex Ryan Phillippe Celebrate at Son Deacon's Album Release Party
Recommendation
Taylor Swift makes surprise visit to Kansas City children’s hospital
Mississippi residents are preparing for possible river flooding
PHOTOS: A third of Pakistan is under water in catastrophic floods
It Cosmetics Flash Deal: Get $156 Worth of Products for Just $69
Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
People who want to visit the world's tallest living tree now risk a $5,000 fine
Jeremy Renner Reunites With Hospital Staff Who Saved His Life After Snowplow Accident
24-Hour Flash Deal: Get $210 Worth of Philosophy Skincare for Just $69