2 Utah Children Confirmed Dead Following Flash Flood

Authorities have confirmed that two Utah children died following flash flooding near Goblin Valley State Park in Emery County. The flash flooding occurred on Monday, specifically in Little Wildhorse Canyon where many were hiking.

The two deceased children were sisters, one seven years old and one three years old. One Monday, the two young girls were hiking with the mother and uncle in Little Wildhorse Canyon. The father was waiting for them at the trailhead parking lot.

“The father saw the water coming down the wash and was able to retrieve his seven-year-old daughter out of the water,” the Emery County Sheriff’s Office shared. “He worked to resuscitate her.”

Two hikers with medical training were also at the trailhead parking lot. They assisted in trying to revive the girl and eventually transported her to Goblin Valley State Park as the father continued to look for his three-year-old daughter.

“The seven-year-old was pronounced dead at Goblin Valley State Park,” the ECSO said. “It is estimated that the family was carried 2.5 to 3 miles down the canyon to the trailhead.”

Then, on Tuesday as the search for the younger child continued, a responding helicopter spotted the body of the missing three-year-old girl at 11:48 a.m. on the bank of the wash approximately 28 miles downstream from where she was last seen. The helicopter transported her body back to the trailhead parking lot.

The family is from West Jordan and no names are being released at this time, the sheriff’s office reported.

The rescue operation included teams from Emery County, Grand County, Sevier County and Wayne County. Also involved were crews from the Bureau of Land Management, Utah State Park, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and Utah Highway Patrol as well as multiple ambulance crews.

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