Five members of same family among victims of deadly Alaska landslide

Photo: Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities/Reuters Five members of same family among victims of deadly Alaska landslide

Heller family was home, when a landslide buried their home on Friday; Neighbor Otto Florschutz also died.

A deadly landslide in southeast Alaska earlier this week killed five family members and their neighbor, a commercial fisherman who made a risky bid for the state. the only seat in the US House of Representatives last year, officials said Friday.

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Timothy Heller, 44, and Beth Heller, 36, and their children Mara, 16; Derek, 12 years old; and Kara, 11, were at home Monday evening when the landslide struck near the island community of Wrangel. Search crews discovered the bodies of the parents and older child late Monday or early Tuesday; The younger children are still missing, as is neighbor Otto Florschutz, 65, the Alaska Department of Public Safety said in a statement identifying the victims of the crash.

Florschutz's wife survived.

Florschutz, a Republican who formerly served on the Wrangell Port Commission, was one of 48 candidates in the race to fill the congressional seat vacated by the death of longtime U.S. Rep. Don Young last year. He received 193 votes out of nearly 162,000 cast.

In a candidate statement provided to the Anchorage Daily News at the time, Florschutz said he is known for his ability to build consensus.< /p>< p class="dcr-1kas69x">“As a 42-year-old commercial fisherman, I’ve worn many hats,” he said. “Besides fishing, I have held elected public office, boat repair, mechanics, welding, carpentry, business and much more.”

Beth Heller served on the Wrangel School board of directors from 2019 to 2020 after several years of service on the district's Parent Advisory Committee.

The Hellers ran a construction company called Heller High Water, said Tayla Nelson, who described herself as Beth Heller's best friend since high school. Beth and Timothy grew up in Wrangell and were married in August 2010, Nelson said.

Nelson sobbed as she described her friend as a “fantastic person.”

p class=»dcr-1kas69x»>“And she was a wonderful mother,” she said. “She did everything for these kids.”

Wrangell School District Superintendent Bill Burr said in an email Friday that counseling for students and staff will be available Monday when school resumes after Thanksgiving break.

«Loss even one child is a very difficult time, and having an entire family with three students is devastating,” Burr wrote.

A landslide swept a strip of evergreen trees from the top of the mountain above the community to ocean, affected three homes and buried a highway near the island community of Wrangell, about 155 miles (250 kilometers) south of Juneau. There was no one in one of the houses.

The landslide, estimated to be 450 feet (137 meters) wide, occurred during heavy rain and strong winds. According to Aaron Jacobs, a hydrologist and meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Juneau, Wrangell received about 2 inches (5 cm) of rain from early Monday to late evening, with wind gusts reaching 60 mph (96 kph) at higher elevations.< /p >

The landslide cut off about 54 houses from the city. About 35 to 45 people have decided to stay in the area, according to Mason Villarma, the interim manager of the affected area. The boats are used to deliver food, fuel, water and prescription drugs.

Given the geography of the island — a town at the northern point and houses along 13 A mile-long stretch of paved road (21 km) — Currently, “the ocean is our only access to these houses,” Villarma said.

On Friday, officials continued to clear debris from the highway. .