A fire captain from Utah, his wife and their three sons have died after flash floods swept through a canyon where they were hiking – leaving only a daughter who did not join the outing alive.
The victims were identified by Provo Fire & Rescue as Captain Spencer Long, his wife Katrina, and their sons Reid, Thayne and Gage. The family had arrived at the Sunglow Campground near Bicknell, Utah, on Friday for a day of hiking before sudden, heavy rains triggered the fatal flooding.
“Utah fire captain Spencer Long, his wife and three sons killed in flash flood; daughter survives.”
“It is believed the family fell victim to flooding caused by heavy rains,” the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, which did not name those killed.
Emergency responders were called to the campground around 17:00 local time (23:00 GMT) on Friday after the body of a young male was discovered in a flood wash. Upon searching, another two male victims were found dead. On Saturday, the search resumed for the remaining two individuals, who were later confirmed dead, the sheriff’s office added.
The Provo Fire Department expressed its grief, writing: “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.” The department said it would not comment further out of respect for the family.
A GoFundMe page set up by family friend Bree Nielson identified the victims and revealed the couple had a daughter, Lydia, who survived. “Spencer and Katrina were loving, devoted parents whose greatest joy was their family,” Nielson wrote. “As Lydia begins the long journey of grieving and rebuilding her life, she is also facing many unexpected financial burdens.” The fundraiser has so far raised roughly $218,000 of a $250,000 goal.
Katrina Long was co-founder of Summit Medical Spa, which also publicly acknowledged the tragedy, describing her as “an exceptional leader, an inspiring businesswoman, and an extraordinary person whose generosity and love for others touched countless lives.”
Tributes have poured in from colleagues and community members, underscoring the scale of a loss that has left one young woman – Lydia – the sole survivor of a family of six.
