UINTAH, Utah, May 5, (Gephardt Daily) — As the search for a 28-year-old woman swept away in the swollen Weber River passes its third day, the status Thursday night was unchanged from a morning statement from officials — stay away.
“We are urging the public to stay far away from the river banks and be cognizant of emergency response (responders) who are still currently searching for the missing person,” reads an 11 a.m. post from the Weber Fire District.
They, along with first responders from agencies all over the county are manning the river’s banks and searching the water for any sign of Libby Stimpson.
She has been identified by family as the woman taken by the river in the area of Uintah around 5:40 p.m. Monday, just east of the Weber Canyon mouth, where the family has a farm.
As in any swift water rescue, officials explained the first day, the multiple responding agencies are assigned to check points along the river from which they monitor and search. It’s a long river, stretching some 20 miles from the mouth of Weber Canyon to its confluence with the Ogden River at Ogden’s western edge near Marriott-Slaterville. From there its another 12 miles to the Great Salt Lake.
Weber County Dispatch Thursday night said any announcement as to the final outcome of the search of the river would likely come from The Weber County Sheriff’s Office, perhaps the lieutenant or sergeant who oversees the county search and rescue unit, who happens to be on duty at the time. The sheriff’s mobile command post is deployed on the river to oversee the search.
Family has set up a Go Fund Me page for Libby Stimpson, created Wednesday to cover expected costs once she is found. Created Wednesday morning with a goal of $20,000.
As of 10 p.m. Thursday the count was $22,900 from 189 donors, up $1,760 and 18, respectively, from 7 p.m.
