WAYNE COUNTY, Utah, July 18, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — The bodies of two people who were unaccounted for have been located the day after after three males in their family group were found deceased on Friday.
A statement from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office said that the group arrived at about 11:30 a.m. Friday with the intent to hike and go canyoneering in the Fishlake National Forest.
At some point, rain caused flash flooding. At about 5 p.m. Friday, WCSO officials were called to the scene after a body was found in a wash near the Sunglow Campground, near Bicknell.
Officials responded, and found two additional bodies in the same wash. All three victims were males.
As of 12:13 p.m. Saturday, bodies were located of the two members of the group who had been unaccounted for. It was not revealed whether those victims were male or female.
All search personnel have left the area, and access is no longer restricted, a Saturday afternoon WCSO news release says.
“Identities of the deceased will NOT be released until families have been notified and positive identification has been made.”
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office thanked those who assisted, including the Department of Public Safety helicopter crew, Wayne County Search and Rescue, Sevier County Search and Rescue, Utah Highway Patrol, Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, Wayne County Commissioner Blackburn, and Bicknell Mayor Noreen Johnson.
