This Saturday the authorities found the body of an 11-year-old girl, the fourth fatality caused by the landslide in Alaska. Kara Heller died overnight Monday when weather conditions caused a 450-foot landslide that spread out across an entire road.
Her house was completely destroyed and the bodies of her parents, Timothy and Beth Heller (aged 44 and 36), were found a few days later. Authorities also found the body of her sister, Sara Heller, 16, who was also killed in the landslide.
Search continues for missing people in Alaska
According to Tim DeSpain, the spokesman for the Alaska Department of Public Safety, there have been four fatalities from the landslide but there could be more. There are still two missing people: Sara and Kara's brother, Derek, 12, as well as a neighbor, Otto Florschutz, 65. According to DeSpain, Florschutz's wife survived the landslide and is safe and sound.
The landslide occurred a week ago in the fishing community of Wrangell, a town of 2,000 people located about 155 miles south of Juneau due to heavy rains that the town experienced a few days earlier.
The community is still trying to recover from the event that left one family dead. Tyla Nelson, Beth Heller's best friend, spoke with AP after what happened: "She was a fantastic human. And she was a wonderful mother. She did everything for those babies," she said, describing her work as a member of the Wrangell School Board between 2019 and 2020.
Wrangell School District Superintendent Bill Burr also spoke about what happened. In an email sent Friday, Burr said they had made counseling available for students and staff who needed it: "The loss of even one child is a very difficult time and having an entire family with three students is devastating."
