Derek Heller: Search for 12-year-old boy who disappeared following Alaska landslide suspended after 15 days

WRANGELL, ALASKA: The search for a 12-year-old boy has been suspended by the authorities after he disappeared following a landslide in Alaska on November 20 which tragically claimed the lives of four members of his family.

The City of Wrangell announced on Facebook Wednesday, December 6, that the search for Derek Heller had been suspended “after 15 days of tireless and exhaustive efforts” by the local fire department’s search and rescue team. Wrangell is about 155 miles (250 kilometers) south of Juneau.

What did the city officials say about the landslide involving Derek Heller?

“After careful consideration and evaluation of all available information, it has been determined that all accessible search areas have been thoroughly examined. Search and Rescue volunteers and a scent-detection K9 team will be available to respond with active searching if any new information or evidence leads to a specific search area in the future,” the city officials said in a statement posted on social media.

Identities of Derek Heller's relatives who died

Four of Derek’s relatives, Beth Heller, 36, Timothy Heller, 44, Mara Heller, 16, and Kara Heller, 11 were found dead in the days following the deadly slide, according to city officials. Kara is the latest family member to be found in the debris. The 11-year-old’s body was recovered five days after the slide with help from a scent detection K-9 around 6.30 pm local time on November 25. 

Derek and 65-year-old Otto Florschutz were the last two individuals unaccounted for. City officials said Florschutz’s body was found around 4.30 pm local time on Thursday, December 7. Christina Florschutz, Florschutz’s wife, survived the ordeal, according to the Associated Press.

Five people died due to the landslide

In total, five people died as a result of the November 20 landslide which occurred following a region-wide storm with heavy rain and high winds, according to Alaska Department of Transportation spokesperson Shannon McCarthy. The slide was about 500 feet wide at the point where it crossed Zimovia Highway at mile 11, McCarthy said at a previous press conference.

Numerous agencies helped “comb through the vast and complex debris area below the Zimovia Highway” following the slide, Wrangell city officials said on Wednesday, December 6. They also thanked those who assisted with the “monumental” search. “Their resilience and commitment to the community during this challenging time have not gone unnoticed,” city officials added. Crews are on standby if new information or evidence becomes available in the future, the officials further said.