Current:Home > reviews4th victim in Alaska landslide is 11-year-old girl; 2 people still missing, officials say -NextWave Wealth Hub
4th victim in Alaska landslide is 11-year-old girl; 2 people still missing, officials say
View
Date:2025-04-23 05:32:13
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! (7175)
Related
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- How Brooklyn Beckham Really Feels About Haters Who Criticize His Cooking Videos
- The leaders of Ukraine and Russia assess their resources as their war heads into winter
- Invasive worm causes disease in Vermont beech trees
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- Kenneth Chesebro takes last-minute plea deal in Georgia election interference case
- North West Shares Dyslexia Diagnosis During Live Chat With Mom Kim Kardashian
- 'Fighting for her life': NYC woman shoved into subway train, search for suspect underway
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- CVS is pulling some of the most popular cold medicines from store shelves. Here's why.
Ranking
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Refugee children’s education in Rwanda under threat because of reduced UN funding
- Well-known mountaineer falls to her death into crevasse on Mount Dhaulagiri, the world's 7th-highest peak
- Rep. Jim Jordan will try again for House gavel, but Republicans won’t back the hardline Trump ally
- 'Most Whopper
- Florida man sentenced to 1 year in federal prison for trying to run over 6 Black men
- Lisa Rinna's Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Resignation Email Revealed
- Biden, others, welcome the release of an American mother and daughter held hostage by Hamas
Recommendation
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
Five NFL players who need a change of scenery as trade deadline approaches
They fled Russia's war in Ukraine. Now in Israel, they face another conflict.
Some people love mustard. Is it any good for you?
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
15 Self-Care Products to Help Ease Seasonal Affective Disorder
Under fire, Social Security chief vows top-to-bottom review of payment clawbacks
Spirit Airlines cancels dozens of flights to inspect some of its planes. Disruptions will last days