Search and rescue teams in Wrangell recovered the body of 11-year-old Kara Heller from the landslide debris on Saturday evening.
After a scent detection K-9 identified the site, the body was recovered with the help of an excavator. Next of kin and the State Medical Examiners Office has been notified.
Kara Heller is the fourth landslide victim to be recovered. The bodies of her sister, Mara Heller, and her parents, Timothy and Beth Heller, were recovered earlier this week.
12-year-old Derek Heller remains missing, along with neighbor 65-year-old Otto Florschutz.
Florschutz’s wife Christina Florschutz survived the slide and is recovering in the local hospital.
On Thursday, Search and Rescue teams proceed with a reactive search, rather than an active search. That means a scent-detection K9 will remain on standby, but the Alaska Department of Transportation has started work to clear the road. They expect to clear one-lane of traffic for use by Wrangell Public Works and emergency personnel in the coming days.
