Found Deceased UT- Priscilla Bienkowski, 18, & Sophia Hernandez, 17, Knolls, Utah Lake, 6 May 2020

[mlhenn]

Wow yeah I was picturing an older gentleman as the "fisherman." I guess that shows to not assume lol.

I'm glad he went ahead and answered the phone so the search could begin sooner. Sadly, I think the girls are no longer alive I hope I am wrong.

Yep, assuming can get ya in trouble at times! lol!
And I’m guilty of assuming he was an older guy.

 

[Rocky1]

I would think that if the Fisherman was involved in any way, the last thing he would have done was answer the phone.
As far as leaving their belongings on the shore, maybe they were planning on only going out 25 or 50 feet on the lake where they could have kept their eyes on them, and the wind picked up and carried them away?

 

[mlhenn]

I would think that if the Fisherman was involved in any way, the last thing he would have done was answer the phone.
As far as leaving their belongings on the shore, maybe they were planning on only going out 25 or 50 feet on the lake where they could have kept their eyes on them, and the wind picked up and carried them away?

Agreed. I don’t think he had anything to do with the girls coming up missing.

 

[mlhenn]

Help Us Find Sophia Hernandez & Priscilla Bienkowski Public Group | Facebook

Today’s post in which the interview with the teen was shared has quite a few comments on the find fb page

 

[MntnHiker]

So trying to nail down a timeline. The kite surfer and the mom and daughter who were out there were there around 345 and they said it was beautiful but out of nowhere a cold front blew up with dangerous waves. It's thought that the girls were out on the water at this time, right?

The fisherman/teen was there/found her phone and belongings around 730 PM and said the winds had picked up by then and most people had gone home.

So we are unsure what time exactly the girls got on the water, what time the fisherman arrived/how long he was there, and we are unsure if any other people were around between those hours and saw the belongings, correct?

 

[mlhenn]

High winds hamper search for 2 teens missing on Utah Lake for nearly a week | Gephardt Daily

High winds hampered a search Tuesday for two teens missing since they went for an outing at Utah Lake nearly a week ago.

“Search efforts on Utah Lake for Priscilla Bienkowski and Sophia Hernandez using K-9’s have been hampered by wind,” said a tweet from Sgt. Spencer Cannon, Utah County Sheriff’s spokesman, at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

“Search flights will continue despite higher winds.

“Investigators are asking anyone who saw Priscilla Bienkowski or Sophia Hernandez after 3 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, May 6, to contact us through Central Utah Dispatch at 801-794-3970,

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Spencer Cannon@SGTCannonPI
Search efforts @UtahLake for Priscilla Bienkowski & Sophia Hernandez using K9’s have been hampered by wind. Search flights will continue despite higher winds. This video is a flight from Lincoln Beach by one of @UCSO_SAR team members. @UCSO CP will be in place tomorrow.


“Search flights will continue despite higher winds. This video (above) is a flight from Lincoln Beach by one of Utah County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team members.”

On Monday, Cannon tweeted that the water search would transition to primarily an air search for the next several days.
High winds hamper search for 2 teens missing on Utah Lake for nearly a week | Gephardt Daily

 

[mlhenn]

Officials reduce Utah Lake search efforts for missing teens, pursue other avenues

It has been one week since 18-year-old Priscilla Bienkowski and 17-year-old Sophia Hernandez went missing from Utah Lake.
Since that time, around 60 individuals from a handful of law enforcement agencies have worked 60-80 hours each to try to locate the missing teens.
Authorities are now reducing their search efforts on Utah lake and are pursuing other avenues.

 

[mlhenn]

So trying to nail down a timeline. The kite surfer and the mom and daughter who were out there were there around 345 and they said it was beautiful but out of nowhere a cold front blew up with dangerous waves. It's thought that the girls were out on the water at this time, right?

The fisherman/teen was there/found her phone and belongings around 730 PM and said the winds had picked up by then and most people had gone home.

So we are unsure what time exactly the girls got on the water, what time the fisherman arrived/how long he was there, and we are unsure if any other people were around between those hours and saw the belongings, correct?

Officials reduce Utah Lake search efforts for missing teens, pursue other avenues

Deputies do have surveillance footage of Hernandez purchasing items at a Walmart located in Saratoga Springs just after 3 p.m.

So, we know they were on the lake after 3. I’m not sure how long the drive is from Walmart to the Lake.

 

[mlhenn]

Officials reduce Utah Lake search efforts for missing teens, pursue other avenues

This article offers a pretty good recap of events so far (IMO):
•For four days leading up to their disappearances, the girls went to the exact same spot at the lake according to social media posts, including some videos; a photo is shared on “find” fb pg
•LE have communication between the girls and another friend who was planning to go that day but had to work
•conversations, social media posts, photos all point to the girls going on the water (without life jackets) but never getting out of water
•there’s surveillance footage of Hernandez purchasing items at a Walmart located in Saratoga Springs just after 3 p.m. and video of Hernandez parking the car to get into Bienkowski’s car.
•Sometime after 7:30pm the mother of one of the girls decided to call her daughter after she had not heard from them for some time. A man fishing on the side of the lake answered the phone, which he had heard ringing on the ground.
•Mom then called LE
•Both families and LE reported to lake that evening.
•LE discovered one of the girl’s vehicles abandoned as well as the girls’ personal belongings.
•LE discovered two pool tubes 3.3 miles from each other in the reeds. The two tubes were 5.2 and 8.5 miles south of where officials believe the two girls got into the water.
•LE has utilized four helicopters and two airplanes to search the area from the air, have also used 10 boats, side-scan sonar, and 12 wave runners to search from the water.

•On Sunday, LE scaled back water search efforts to focus on searching for the girls from the air.
•As soon as wind calms, the sheriff’s office is ready to deploy cadaver dogs that will be able to pick up the scent of a body in or out of the water.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“Searchers spent several hours in Utah Lake this morning looking for Priscilla Bienkowski and Sophia Hernandez,” said a late afternoon tweet from Utah County Sheriff spokesman Sgt. Spencer Cannon.

“Wind continues to hamper the search effort. We are, however, continuing the search by air with four to five flights a day.”

Search continues for teens who went missing after tubing trip to Utah County | Gephardt Daily

 

[GraceG]

This one just breaks my heart. My daughter is in her early 40's, but like me, she lived to be in or on the water growing up in the West. I won't speak to the dynamics of it out of respect for the family, but in a few days, when the wind dies down, the girls should be recovered.

 

[DissociativeFugue]

They have been found deceased. According to this article.

Bodies of missing girls found in Utah Lake

Edit: OK, I don't know if this is considered an "official" source. We may have to wait for LE to post an update. If this isn't allowed please let me know and I will delete/edit this post!

"Utah County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue recovered the bodies of two teenage girls Thursday afternoon, who had vanished after swimming at Utah Lake on May 6.

According to multiple sources, the bodies of 18-year-old Priscilla Bienkowski and 17-year-old Sophia Hernandez were discovered by search and rescue crews early Thursday afternoon."

 

[DissociativeFugue]

Not really sure if this is considered official.
"Multiple sources" ?!

 

[mlhenn]

Bodies of missing girls found in Utah Lake

FOUND DECEASED
18-year-old Priscilla Bienkowski and 17-year-old Sophia Hernandez were discovered by search and rescue crews early Thursday afternoon.

 

[mlhenn]

Spencer Cannon on Twitter

Sheriff Mike Smith will give a media briefing at 7:30pm

 

[mlhenn]

Help Us Support Sophia & Priscilla's loved ones Public Group | Facebook

The HeraldExtra article on finding the two girls deceased has also been shared on their “find” fb page.

It breaks my heart however to know the media reported this news before the family was made aware. The family is asking that everyone be considerate & respectful at this time as they attempt to process this tragic loss.

 

[mlhenn]

Bodies found at Utah Lake believed to be teen girls when went missing last week

Video of press conference here.

 

[Dre]

So incredibly heartbreaking.

 

[Lusitana]

Oh man, I hate this. They had to be so scared. I hope they didn't suffer.