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Flash flood kills family
A flash flood in a red-rock canyon near Bicknell, Utah, killed five members of a family after heavy rains triggered flooding at Sunglow Campground on Friday, according to local authorities.
“LEVAN, Utah (ABC4) — Levan Fire Department welcomed home the stepdaughter of Provo Fire Captain Spencer Long who waskilled along with four other family membersduring flash floods in Wayne County”
The victims included Provo Fire & Rescue Capt. Spencer Long, his wife Katrina, and their sons Reid, Thayne and Gage, while their daughter Lydia survived because she did not join the family on the excursion.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to the Sunglow Campground around 5 p.m. after the body of a young male was found in a flood wash, and search teams recovered the remaining four bodies later that night and into Saturday.
The Provo Fire Department confirmed that one of its leaders, Captain Spencer Long, died, and it posted: "We are absolutely heartbroken by the death of Captain Spencer Long and his family."
Sheriff and neighbors speak
Wayne County Sheriff Micah Gulley said, "It is believed the family fell victim to flooding caused by heavy rains," as authorities continued to investigate the deaths.
A Wayne County resident, James Todd Manwill, described the moment he saw multiple agencies responding and said, "We were sitting on the front patio when we saw sheriffs from Sevier County, Wayne County, the Highway Patrol, all going in front of the house and heading up over towards there."
Manwill said the flooding was not really raining where he lived, and he argued for better alerts by saying, "We need to have ... some kind of warning system about monsoon season down in our county."
He added that even if rain is far away, people in a slot canyon could be affected, telling FOX 13 News Utah: "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."
Fundraisers and community support
After the deaths, a GoFundMe page organized by a family friend identified the other victims as Long’s wife, Katrina, and their sons Reid, Thayne and Gage, and said the fundraiser was created to support the surviving daughter, Lydia.
“5 family members found dead after flash flood in a scenic Utah canyon, authorities say BICKNELL, Utah (AP) — Five family members who had set out for a day of hiking were killed after a flash flood swept through canyons of southern Utah on Friday, law enforcement officials said”
The page said, "Spencer and Katrina were loving, devoted parents whose greatest joy was their family," and it described Lydia facing "many unexpected financial burdens" as she begins the "long journey of grieving and rebuilding her life."
In Nephi, Branded Barbers said it would donate 100 percent of the money it makes from services and tips directly to Lydia, and co-founder Shawny Allred said, "They were clients of ours."
Allred set a goal to raise $2,000 dollars and said, "So, if you come in for haircut, beard trim, face shave, whatever it may be, 100% of that is gonna go back to helping Lydia as she faces an unimaginable loss of her family," while also accepting donations from people who do not need services.
