Current:Home > Markets4th victim in Alaska landslide is 11-year-old girl; 2 people still missing, officials say -FutureFinance
4th victim in Alaska landslide is 11-year-old girl; 2 people still missing, officials say
View
Date:2025-04-15 11:59:28
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! (94)
Related
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- Buddhists use karmic healing against one US city’s anti-Asian legacy and nationwide prejudice today
- After sailing around the world, Cole Brauer says she's more grounded than ever
- Konstantin Koltsov, Former NHL Player and Boyfriend of Tennis Star Aryna Sabalenka, Dead at 42
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- Peter Navarro is 1st Trump White House official to serve prison time related to Jan. 6 attack
- Contraceptives will be available without a prescription in New York following a statewide order
- Russian woman kidnapped near U.S. border in Mexico is freed, officials say
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- The Fed is meeting this week. Here's what experts are saying about the odds of a rate cut.
Ranking
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- How do I restart my stalled career? How to get out of a rut in the workplace. Ask HR
- Prepare for the Spring Equinox with These Crystals for Optimism, Abundance & New Beginnings
- Princess Kate's photograph of Queen Elizabeth flagged as 'digitally enhanced' by Getty
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Alito extends order barring Texas from detaining migrants under SB4 immigration law for now
- Paris Olympics lifts intimacy ban for athletes and is stocking up on 300,000 condoms
- Tennessee nurse practitioner known as ‘Rock Doc’ gets 20 years for illegally prescribing opioids
Recommendation
Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
How to catch and what to know about Netflix's new NFL series 'Receiver'
Jackpot nears $700M. Could the Powerball numbers 3/18/24 help lead you to the next winners?
Rep. Cory Mills rescues 23 Americans, including Mitch Albom, from chaos in Haiti
Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
Kansas car dealer indicted for rolling back odometers as cases surge nationwide
Minnesota court rules pharmacist discriminated against woman in denying emergency contraception
Free Rita's: Get complimentary Italian ice in honor of the first day of spring 2024