Utah firefighter and four family members killed in flash flooding

What the report says

BBC World News reported that five members of a Utah family died after flash flooding struck during a hiking day trip in the southern part of the state over the weekend. Law enforcement officials said the family is believed to have been caught by floodwaters triggered by heavy rain. The victims were identified by Provo Fire & Rescue as Fire Captain Spencer Long and members of his family; a fundraising page cited by the BBC named his wife as Katrina and their three sons as Reid, Thayne and Gage.

According to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, the family had gone to a campground near Bicknell, Utah, on Friday. Emergency crews were called to the area at about 17:00 local time, where one young male victim was found dead. Search teams later recovered two more male victims, and the search resumed Saturday for two remaining people, who were subsequently confirmed dead.

The BBC reported that the couple’s daughter, who did not go on the outing, is the only immediate family member to have survived. Provo Fire & Rescue said it was mourning the loss of Captain Long and his family, and extended sympathies to relatives, friends and colleagues.

The deaths highlight the danger of flash flooding in rugged or remote recreation areas, where intense rainfall can rapidly turn normally passable washes, trails or campground areas hazardous. The BBC’s report did not include further details on the precise location of the flooding, the family’s hiking route, or any additional official findings beyond the sheriff’s office statement.