People from Texas who went missing in Utah are thought to have been washed away in a flash flood over the weekend while riding their off-road utility vehicle (UTV) on a trail.
People close to Ray and Maranda Ankofski told FOX13 Salt Lake City that they were exploring the Steel Bender Off-Road Trail area in Moab. The last time anyone heard from them was on Friday, just before a big storm hit the Moab area.
Donna Stevens, Ray’s sister, told the station, “They’re adventurers; they’ve even camped out there before, but they hadn’t been seen back at their hotel in a few days.” She also said that she thought it was their first time on the Steel Bender Trail.
Flash flooding caused by the storm caught many hikers in the area. At least 20 lost hikers were saved from Grand Staff Canyon for six hours, according to the Grand County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue.
The couple went missing on Monday, so the police started a search and rescue operation. They said that their UTV was found in the Steel Bender Trail area by the Grand County Sheriff’s Office.
Chief Deputy Mike Palmer told FOX13 that the UTV was probably washed away in the storm’s flash flooding and was badly injured.
“It appears that probably once the flood hit the UTV, we’re thinking anywhere from three-quarters to a mile, pushed it down the wash and off of the waterfall,” said Palmer. “Their tools and belongings are scattered over a three-mile area in this canyon.”
Stevens told the station that the husband and wife’s family is “heartbroken” as they wait for news about them.
“At this point, we’re just keeping our fingers crossed that they find a way or somebody finds them,” she told us.
