Utah fire captain, wife and 3 sons killed in flash flood
The family had gone hiking and canyoneering near Sunglow Campground, outside Bicknell in south-central Utah, when flash flooding caused by heavy rain swept through the area.
Dr. Reed Timmer was on a bridge over Dry Devils River as large debris was brought downriver and slammed into the bridge during heavy flooding in Sonora, Texas, on July 17.
A Utah fire captain, his wife and their three sons were killed after flash flooding struck a red-rock canyon during a family hiking trip Friday.
The victims were identified as Provo Fire & Rescue Capt. Spencer Long, his wife, Katrina, and their sons Reid, Thayne and Gage. Their daughter, Lydia, was not on the trip, according to a GoFundMe organized by a family friend.
“We are absolutely heartbroken by the death of Captain Spencer Long and his family,” Provo Fire & Rescue wrote on Facebook. “Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.”
Five members of the Long family were found dead after being caught up in flooding at a campground in Bicknell, Utah. (Credit: GoFundMe)
Search began after body was found in a wash
The family arrived in the Sunglow Campground area near Bicknell, Utah, around 11:30 a.m. Friday to go hiking and canyoneering, according to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies were called to the campground around 5 p.m. after the body of a young male was found in a wash. Search and rescue crews were activated after investigators found evidence that additional members of the family could be missing.
During the search, crews found two additional males dead in the same wash. The search continued for two other family members, whose bodies were found around noon Saturday. Authorities said all five people had been accounted for.
“It is believed the family fell victim to flooding caused by heavy rains,” Wayne County Sheriff Micah Gulley said in a news release. The deaths remain under investigation, and the victims’ bodies were taken to the Utah Medical Examiner’s Office.
Flash flooding can strike far from the storm
The flooding occurred during southern Utah’s summer monsoon season, when thunderstorms can produce sudden, intense rainfall across western areas of the country.
That rain can rapidly collect in narrow canyons, normally dry washes and small streams. Floodwater may travel miles downstream from the thunderstorm that produced it, meaning hikers can face dangerous conditions even when it is not raining where they are.
James Todd Manwill, who lives near the campground, told FOX 13 News that little rain was falling near his home when he saw emergency vehicles heading toward the area.
“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,” Manwill said. “Find out if it’s going to rain, and even if it’s miles and miles away, you could be affected if you’re in a slot canyon.”
The National Park Service advises visitors to check forecasts for both their location and areas upstream before entering a canyon, especially in remote areas where cell phone service is not reliable to receive flash flood warnings. Hikers should leave canyons and washes immediately if water becomes muddy or begins rising.
Community mourns the Long family
Fire Captain Spencer Long. (Credit: Provo Fire Dept/Facebook)
Spencer Long had served with Provo Fire & Rescue for more than a decade. Katrina Long was a former Mona City Council member and a co-founder of Summit Medical Spa, according to tributes posted after the deaths.
“Spencer and Katrina were loving, devoted parents whose greatest joy was their family,” family friend Bree Nielson wrote on the GoFundMe page. “They touched the lives of so many with their kindness, generosity, and unwavering love.”
Donations from the fundraiser will go directly to Lydia to help cover funeral and memorial expenses, housing, counseling, education and other costs as she grieves the loss of her family.
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