Authorities Recover Body of Missing Person in Deadly Alaska Landslide

The body of one of the two individuals who went missing during a devastating landslide in the southeastern Alaskan community of Wrangell last week has been discovered by authorities.

Alaska State Troopers announced on Friday that they had located and retrieved the remains of Otto Florschutz, a 65-year-old resident of the area. This discovery leaves only one person, 12-year-old Derek Heller, still unaccounted for after the landslide occurred late at night on November 20th. The landslide engulfed three homes, one of which was vacant.

ALASKA LANDSLIDE: FOURTH VICTIM IDENTIFIED AS 11-YEAR-OLD GIRL

A total of five casualties have been confirmed as a result of the landslide. Alongside Florschutz, Timothy and Beth Heller, along with two of their children, 11-year-old Kara and 16-year-old Mara, tragically lost their lives.

Christina Florschutz, the wife of Otto Florschutz, was fortunate enough to survive the disaster. In an interview with the Wrangell Sentinel and KSTK radio, she vividly recounted the sheer force of the landslide, likening her being tossed around to that of a “weightless popcorn” before losing consciousness. After regaining consciousness, she found herself trapped beneath the debris and the roof of her house until morning when she managed to free herself. Throughout the night, she attempted to stay warm by wrapping herself in pieces of fleece cloth.

The landslide, estimated to be around 450 feet wide, occurred during a severe storm that brought heavy rainfall and strong gusts of wind to the area.

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Located approximately 155 miles south of Juneau, Wrangell is a small community in southeastern Alaska.