Neighbors Honor Two Girls Killed In Slot Canyon Flash Flood
May 12, 2020, 8:34 PM | Updated: Jun 13, 2022, 4:56 pm
WEST JORDAN, Utah – Community members said they were shocked and devastated after hearing two young sisters were killed in a flash flood in Little Wild Horse Canyon.
Dozens of friends and neighbors spent Tuesday afternoon tying pink and teal ribbons throughout the neighborhood. They also planted flowers in the yard, put up signs and wrote cards for the family.
Everyone who spoke to KSL said everyone in the area loved the sisters, ages 7 and 3, who died in Monday’s flash flood.
“They are the sweetest kids. They just win your heart over. My heart melts every time I see them. It’s so hard to see them gone,” said Jennifer Vanleuven, a friend and neighbor of the family. “We know it’s not going to fix anything, but just so that they can feel our love for them.”
“They are pure sunshine and I’m not just saying that because of what happened. Everyone in our community, everyone in our ward loved to talk to these girls. The little one would always mimic big sister everything she did. Just sunshine, pure happiness,” said an emotional Angie White, a friend and neighbor.
This wasn’t the first tragedy that has brought this community together.
It’s the same West Jordan neighborhood that rallied to the support Jennifer Vanleuven’s 4-year-old boy Ethan, who had leukemia.
The week before he died, they celebrated every holiday of the year in one week.
“Amazing people, they are truly amazing people that just jump in anytime something like that happens,” Vanleuven said about her neighbors.
“There is a silver lining in everything and that is the community coming together. It made us stronger with Ethan when we lost him and we will come together we will be stronger after losing these two,” said White.
“I love the light they brought to everyone around them,” Shaunna Page said of the two girls.
The Page family lives just a few doors down from them and has two children the same ages.
“Explaining that her best friend in preschool isn’t here anymore was heartbreaking,” Page said of her conversation with her daughter. “It’s been quite a blow to our family. We just love them and we’ll miss them.”
Friends said the couple and their two girls were doing what they loved most on Monday.
“Slot canyons were her favorite thing to be doing. Especially with her little girls,” said Brooke Thompson, who has been good friends with the mother since they were children. “My heart’s pounding. My heart breaks for them. They’re the best family you’ll ever meet. So attentive to their children.”
In a phone call to her longtime friend on Tuesday to check on her, Thompson said, “Obviously she’s devastated…she’s just taking it step-by-step.”
KSL knows who the girls are but will not release their names until investigators have notified all family members.
