Flash flood in Utah kills fire captain, his wife and three children at campground
A flash flood in Bicknell, Utah, caused by heavy rain killed Provo Fire Captain Spencer Long, his wife Katrina and their three sons while they were at Sunglow Campground.
A flash flood struck the Sunglow Campground area near Bicknell, Utah, on Friday, killing Provo Fire Captain Spencer Long, his wife Katrina and their three sons, Reid, Thayne and Gage. The family had arrived around 11:30 a.m. to hike and canyoneer when sudden heavy rain caused water to surge through a nearby wash.
Wayne County sheriff's deputies responded after a report of a body being found and later recovered the remains of the five family members. Two additional men who were missing from the site were also found dead, though authorities have not released their identities.
"We are absolutely heartbroken by the death of Captain Spencer Long and his family. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time," Provo Fire and Rescue said in a statement posted to Facebook.
Search and rescue teams have cleared the area and the campground is now open to the public. Local residents expressed concerns about the lack of warning systems for monsoon-season floods.
"We need to have...some kind of warning system about monsoon season down in our county because we've had some serious flash floods down here before," James Todd Manwill, a Wayne County resident, told a local news outlet.
A GoFundMe page created in the family's honor noted that their daughter Lydia survived the incident but now faces significant emotional challenges.