Human remains found in Millcreek Canyon likely one of missing Texas couple

The Grand County Sheriff’s Office has discovered human remains in Millcreek Canyon, the same area where search teams have spent well over 1,000 hours looking for a missing Texas couple since June 21, following an intense storm and widespread flooding.

The remains of the body, which were found July 22, have not yet been positively identified, and will be sent to the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner for confirmation, according to the sheriff’s office’s news release.

“They might have to do DNA testing, pull dental records and then if they do DNA testing, they’re going to have to find DNA to match – it could be a couple of days, or it could be a while,” said Grand County Sheriff Wiggins.

Once the identification has been determined, the sheriff’s office said they will release that information, according to the statement.

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Recapping the rescue and recovery efforts for Texas couple

Wiggins announced at the beginning of July that the search for the Texas couple, Ray and Maranda Ankofski, had shifted from rescue to recovery after six days of searching yielded few clues. The couple’s off-highway vehicle was found abandoned on the rugged Steel Bender Trail, and personal items, including Ray’s pants with keys, a wallet and Maranda’s rain jacket, were discovered downstream.

“The clues were few but those they found were ominous,” Wiggins said. The sheriff noted that the couple likely crossed Mill Creek before the flash flood hit, and tracks indicated they had to turn around at one point.

“We lost their tracks at the creek crossing,” Wiggins said, which led searchers to believe the Ankofski’s were swept downstream. The couple’s belongings and OHV parts were found scattered along the way.

The presence of “strainers,” debris-laden areas where floodwaters collect logs and other materials, also posed significant obstacles during the search.

“It’s debris and logs and then more debris and more logs wrapped around about 200 trees,” said Wiggins, adding that these strainers can weigh several tons, potentially concealing the bodies beneath layers of mud and debris.

The search was further hampered by a second storm on June 27, forcing searchers to halt operations for safety reasons.

Ray Ankofski, 58, and Maranda Ankofski, 50, were avid outdoor enthusiasts from Pearlton, Texas. They had visited Moab multiple times over the past three years.

Maranda was an elementary school teacher, and Ray worked as a used car director at a dealership.

The couple’s disappearance has left their family devastated. Judy Lamb, a sister, told ABC 13 that they’re “big outdoors people who have ample experience hiking, camping, and riding utility terrain vehicles.”

Their daughter, in a heartfelt message on GoFundMe, expressed the family’s grief: “My parents were 2 amazing people doing something they loved and we are devastated that this is the current circumstances.”

This story was first published by The Times-Independent.

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