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Flash Flood Victim Recovery Effort "optimistic for today"

The seventh and final victim of the flash flood in Zion National Park has been found, bringing the total confirmed deaths from Monday’s storm in southern Utah to 19. Park spokesman David Eaker says the body was found a few miles from Keyhole Canyon where the group had been climbing when the storm hit Monday. 

Meanwhile, 300 personnel today continue the search for the body of 6-year-old Tyson Lucas Black in Hildale, Utah. Battalion Chief Brian Anderton of Unified Fire is heading the Salt Lake Regional Incident Management Team.

“Conditions are difficult, but we remain optimistic that we can bring this to a close here in the near future,” says Anderton.

He says 13 canine units are also involved in the search with dogs that are able to locate human remains under up to 15 feet of earth. He says they can’t speculate how long the search would last.

“Right now, we’re working one day at a time. We’re optimistic for today. As we wrap up today, we’ll start planning for tomorrow,” Anderton says.

Washington County Emergency Services is thanking the many volunteers through postings on their Facebook page and says they now have all the help they need.

Bob Nelson is a graduate of the University of Utah with a BA in mass communications. He began his radio career at KUER in 1978 when it was still in Kingsbury Hall. That’s also where he met his wife, Maria Shilaos, in 1981. Bob left KUER for commercial radio where he worked for 25 years, and he is thrilled to be back at KUER. Bob and his family are part of an explorer group, fondly known as The Hordes and Masses, which has been seeking out ghost towns and little-known places in Utah for more than twenty years.
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