Salt Lake City — Two men from Tampa found dead After floodwaters swept into a slot canyon near the Utah-Arizona border, endangering three groups of hikers who had to be lifted by helicopter.
Kane County Sheriff Lt. Allen Aldredge said the man first found dead, later identified as Bill Romaniero of Tampa, traveled south from Tampa across the Utah-Arizona border. He said he was one of three men who had hiked to Lee’s Ferry. Another man in the group, Ed Smith, was rescued and taken to hospital where he was treated for hypothermia and physical injuries after several days of exposure.
Smith reportedly told authorities that on the morning of March 11, his group was hit by a flash flood and was swept downstream.according to Release from Kane County Sheriff’s Office, Smith and Watson were freed from the flood and were able to regroup. They tried to search for Romaniello, but could not find him. Smith and Watson eventually continued to move downstream in search of help.
According to the sheriff’s office, Watson had a leg injury from day one and was unable to continue after a while. Smith reportedly had Watson “in place” before continuing to call for help.
Authorities found a second body Wednesday afternoon across the Arizona border. It was Watson. Since he was found in Arizona, the sheriff’s office said his body was turned over to the Coconino County coroner’s office for investigation.
The Tampa Bay Orthopedic Medical Group, to which Watson and Romaniello belonged, issued the following statement After news of their death:
“The Tampa Bay Family Orthopedic Medical Group would like to thank the community for their prayers and continued wishes of positivity over the past few days.
Tragedy has struck this clinic.It is with great sadness that we share the deaths of Dr. Jeffrey Watson and ATC’s Dr. William Romaniello.
We ask that you respect the privacy of your family and friends in the coming days. “
Credit: Tampa Bay Orthopedic Medical Group
Bill Romaniero (middle) and Dr. Jeffrey Watson (right) were each found dead this week after floodwaters swept into a slot canyon near the Utah-Arizona border. Edward Smith (left) was rescued and taken to hospital for treatment.
Alldredge said authorities received a call on Monday from the hiker’s spouse who hadn’t returned home from the hike that started on Friday. A hiker was making a multi-day trek through the sandstone features of Buckskin Gulch, including multiple narrow slot-hi canyons, from Wire-hi pass to Leeds-hi ferry.
“Atmospheric River” Storm Sweeping through parts of the western United States last weekend caused water levels in the canyon to rise, causing additional flooding into the slot canyon earlier this week. Authorities continue to search for missing hikers, and weather forecasts predicted more rain on Wednesday.
“I think they were ready, they had the gear, they had everything you would normally need to do this hike in normal conditions,” Aldredge said. It’s not normal, it just surprised people.”
Two Utah Department of Public Safety helicopters and another hiker helped locate the second body found Wednesday. After being called in by an initial group of three people, a Ministry of Public Security helicopter helped rescue 11 people who were stranded in frigid floodwaters and called for help on Tuesday.
Alldredge said over the past week, first responders have assisted 18 people, including three men in Tampa.
