Human remains found in Grand County where crews were searching for missing Texas couple

MOAB — Search and rescue crews found human remains in Grand County’s Millcreek Canyon, the same area where they were previously searching for a Texas couple who went missing in June.

The Grand County Sheriff’s Office said the remains have not been identified and they will be sent to the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner for identification.

“Once identification has been determined, we will release that information when it becomes available,” deputies said in a press release.

Previous search efforts for missing Texas couple

Ray and Maranda Ankofski, ages 58 and 50, were last heard from on June 21 as they were setting out on the Steel Bender trail, family members told KSL TV. According to Chief Deputy Mike Palmer with the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, dispatch originally received a report about a man and woman in the area when a flash flood began.

Though an initial aerial search turned up nothing, Palmer said searchers returned with the report of an abandoned vehicle at the trailhead. Crews also discovered a UTV near the trail that belonged to the Ankofski family.

Palmer said searchers were “pretty sure” the couple had been caught in the floodwaters on June 21.

“It looks as if they went to cross it (and the) flood was already there. They got into it and it probably tumbled that UTV down the wash I’m going to say 3/4 of a mile before it stopped,” Palmer said.

Crews also found a pair of pants containing Ray Ankofski’s wallet and ID in the search radius.

The search for the married Texas couple became a recovery operation later that week.

Search for Texas couple has turned into a ‘recovery effort,’ sheriff office says