UT UT - Man & woman overdue, abandoned Utility Terrain Vehicle found, Steel Bender Off-Road trail area, Moab, 24 Jun 2024

[imstilla.grandma]

A search is underway for two people who have been reported as overdue in the Steel Bender Off-Road trail area.

The Grand County Sheriff’s Office said it had received a report of an abandoned vehicle on Monday morning, June 24. It was later determined the abandoned car was associated with a man and woman who had been reported as missing.

An immediate search and rescue response involving multiple agencies was launched, according to the Grand County Sheriff’s Office. Shortly after starting the search, teams found a Utility Terrain Vehicle belonging to the missing hikers in the Steel Bender trail area.

https://www.abc4.com/news/southern-utah/search-underway-missing-people-utah/

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Ray and Maranda Ankofski

Couple missing after flash floods near Moab

Grand County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue has mounted a search for a couple missing since Friday.

www.sltrib.com

Grand County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue has mounted a search for a couple missing since Friday.

Identified as Ray and Maranda Ankofski on social media, the pair was last heard from 20 minutes after noon on June 21, several hours before an intense storm wreaked havoc in the region.

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Search underway for couple missing since Friday - The Times-Independent

The couple’s truck was located at the Steel Bender trailhead and the off-highway vehicle was found in a ravine.

www.moabtimes.com

https://www.facebook.com/utahgrandcountysheriff/posts/pfbid038FQDZiSdKDqbwVPPs7G4jACnCfK111gaQTECMHJnosoHCkysAkRtCbir51SE9VdKl

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Family members identified the missing couple as 58-year-old Raymond Ankofski and 51-year-old Maranda Ankofski, both from Texas. Family detailed that the pair travels to the Moab area annually and were last heard from on Friday afternoon.

Moab police said the couple was out riding in an area where there was serious flash flooding due to a storm. Police received word that the pair hadn't checked out of their hotel room on Monday and began investigating. Family members say the couple was planning on leaving Sunday and returning to Texas on Monday.

"At first they didn't worry because we thought maybe they were just out of range and that and they didn't always stay at a hotel," said Donna Stevens, Ray's sister. "They're adventurers, they've even camped out at those places, but they had not been seen back at their hotel for a few days."

On Monday, the Grand County Sheriff's Office located an abandoned utility terrain vehicle (UTV) in the area. Donna Stevens said the vehicle is the couple's.

Search underway near Moab for missing couple last seen Friday

Search and rescue crews are combing through the Steel Bender Off Road Trail area for an overdue man and woman who were last seen before a serious flooding event.

www.fox13now.com

 

[GraceG]

The article above states their ATV was found at a trail head which leads me to believe they parked it and then decided to walk/hike a small distance. The time that occurred isn't known, sometime Friday. A look at the historical radar for the Moab area Friday morning shows some heavy rain/thundershower activity over and around Moab around 1500 Coordinated Universal Time (Friday morning), which would have been a serious flash flooding risk. Radar Data

 

[RickshawFan]

The would have had to haul the ATV to the trailhead, because you can't drive it around on a road. This means there's a street-legit vehicle somewhere.

 

[NervousNellie]

From the Sheriff's Office Press Release:

"On the morning of 6/24/2024, Grand County Sheriff's Office received a report of an abandoned vehicle; it was later discovered that this vehicle was associated with an overdue party. This prompted an immediate search and rescue response involving multiple agencies. A Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) belonging to the reported overdue party was subsequently located in the Steel Bender trail area."

I would consider the details provided by the Sheriff's office to be more accurate than a news report. Sherriff states that the missing individuals' VEHICLE was found at the trailhead and their UTV was found in the Steel Bender [Off Road] trail area.

 

[Snoopster]

Have we seen anything yet on exactly where their UTV was found?
Unfortunately this sounds likely to be a drowning due to flash flood. I hope they are just trapped somewhere, with some injuries that are preventing them from making it back to the trail. But that is such a longshot.

 

[StillDiggin]

Search crews looking for a missing Texas couple east of Moab discovered a pair of pants containing the man’s wallet and ID, officials said Wednesday.

Search crews find pants, wallet, ID during search for missing couple in Grand County

Search crews located a pair of pants with the wallet and ID inside them of one of the missing people they're looking for.

ksltv.com

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Grand County search and rescue for missing couple now a recovery effort | Gephardt Daily

GRAND COUNTY, Utah, June 28, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) -- Hopes of rescue have faded and the search for a couple missing since June 21st flooding Friday became a recovery effort. "The Grand County Sheriff's Office regrets to announce that the search and rescue operation for Ray and Maranda Ankofski...

gephardtdaily.com

GRAND COUNTY, Utah, June 28, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Hopes of rescue have faded and the search for a couple missing since June 21st flooding Friday became a recovery effort.

“The Grand County Sheriff’s Office regrets to announce that the search and rescue operation for Ray and Maranda Ankofski, who went missing on June 21, in Grand County, has transitioned to a recovery effort,” the sheriff’s office announced Friday night.

*****

 

[MAHBOOBOO]

My parents just spent the last week riding their ATV in New Mexico. They said they were dodging heavy lightning/rain almost daily. They'd be 30 miles from their truck/camper and they'd be trying to outrun lightning. They got so scared at one point that they hopped off the atv and huddled in a culvert that ran under a road. Then they became concerned that the culvert would flash flood so they flagged down a passing motorist and got a ride back to camp with him. They also said that lightning was setting fires almost daily while they were there.

 

[ch_13]

The would have had to haul the ATV to the trailhead, because you can't drive it around on a road. This means there's a street-legit vehicle somewhere.

I alway see people driving those things on the roads around Moab.

A quick google search shows that if they're titled and registered (or owned by a non-resident of Utah) than they can be legal: https://dmv.utah.gov/vehicles/street-legal-atvs

Don't know if a couple from Texas would bother to title their vehicle, but it's a possibility.

 

[wendybtn]

Utah officials call search for missing Pearland couple a recovery mission | Houston Public Media

Family says they have not heard from 58-year-old Ray Ankofski and his wife, 50-year-old Maranda Ankofski since Friday, June 21

www.houstonpublicmedia.org

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Unidentified remains found near area where couple went missing last month

Officials say they have found human remains near the area where a Texas couple went missing in southeastern Utah last month, but they have not yet confirmed if the remains belong to them.

www.fox13now.com

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On Monday, the Grand County Sheriff's Office announced that they discovered human remains in the Millcreek Canyon, which is where crews had been searching for the couple.

The sheriff's office said they have not positively identified the remains, and they are being sent to the Utah Medical Examiner's Office for identification. They said they will release identification information once it is confirmed.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

GRAND COUNTY, Utah — Grand County Sheriff's Office confirmed the remains discovered on July 22 to be identified as Miranda Ankofski Saturday afternoon. Her late husband has yet to be identified.

Human remains found in Grand County identified to be missing woman, officials confirm

Grand County Sheriff's Office confirmed the remains discovered on July 22 to be identified as Miranda Ankofski Saturday afternoon. Her late husband has yet to be identified.

www.fox13now.com

 

[caradana]

I am glad for the family that there is this closure, of course not what anyone would want or pray for … but they know for sure now. I hope this inspired a journey to peace.