Body of 5th Alaska landslide victim found; 1 remains missing

The body of a fifth victim of the deadly Wrangell landslide has been found, according to a news release from the Department of Public Safety.

At 4:25 p.m. Thursday, the body of 65-year-old Otto Florschutz was found in the landslide debris.

The deadly landslide happened on Nov. 20 and wrecked multiple homes, including two that were occupied.

The bodies of 44-year-old Timothy Heller, 36-year-old Beth Heller, 16-year-old Mara Heller and 11-year-old Kara Heller have also been recovered since the landslide. Twelve-year-old Derek Heller remains missing.

Florschutz’s wife was found alive the day after the landslide.

The Department of Public Safety said volunteers and scent detection K-9 teams are still searching on a reactive basis. Troopers announced that active search and rescue operations were ceased on Thanksgiving morning.

On Nov. 21, Gov. Mike Dunleavy declared a disaster declaration in the aftermath of the landslide. For updates, DPS encourages people to follow the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s social media channels.

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