Searchers re-assess chances of finding two victims still buried in landslide

JOHNSONS LANDING, B.C. – After another day of fruitless recovery efforts, officials in British Columbia said Wednesday that they were re-assessing their chances of finding two bodies which still remain missing a week after a massive mudslide hit the small community of Johnsons Landing.

B.C. Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe said crews were focusing their search on the areas around the homes which were destroyed in the slide, where they thought they had the best chance of finding four missing people.

Two bodies were recovered — one on Sunday and another on Monday —but Lapointe said work in those same areas has not yielded any results since.

The slow rate of progress means crews will be re-assessing their options and evaluating their chances of locating the two remaining victims, Lapointe said.

“We won’t be continuing the search tomorrow,” said Lapointe from Kaslo, B.C., about a hundred kilometres north of the landslide near Kootenay Lake.

Instead of sifting through debris on Thursday, crews will be looking at the 83 hectare mess of mud, trees and rock to determine what the best course of action is for searchers in the days ahead.

Sixty-year-old Valentine Webber’s body was uncovered Sunday and the remains of one of his two daughters were found the next day. Police would not identify which daughter, only saying the body of a young woman was found.

Sixty-four-year-old Petra Frehse from Germany and one of Webber’s two daughters, 22-year-old Diana or 17-year-old Rachel are still buried somewhere in the debris.

Lapointe stressed search crews have shown great dedication in looking for the remains of the two victims who have yet to be found, but she said the site’s conditions are also a concern as foul weather and the unstable slide still pose a threat.

“We are very committed to doing what we can to help the community (and we will) very carefully assess our next options for the recovery efforts,” she said.

The massive landslide barreled down the mountainside last Thursday and took out three homes in the tiny remote community of 35 people.

Officials have blamed rain and a buildup of debris which triggered a chain reaction that caused a creek to burst, sending the deadly load of soil down the mountain.

As days pass after the slide, officials are still cautioning the public to stay well away from the site as it remains unsafe.