A flash flood near Sunglow Campground outside Bicknell, Utah, resulted in the deaths of five family members on Friday, July 17, 2026. According to reports citing the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, the group had arrived in the area to participate in hiking and canyoneering.
Wayne County deputies responded to the campground area at approximately 17:00 MDT on July 17 after a body was reported. Responders located a deceased young male in a wash near the campground, Sheriff Micah Gulley stated.
Search crews subsequently discovered two additional deceased males in the same wash. While two other individuals connected to the family remained missing through Friday night, search efforts located the remaining two people deceased by 12:13 MDT on July 18, bringing the confirmed death toll to five.
Authorities noted that evidence indicated the family was caught in flooding caused by heavy rainfall in the area. The incident remains under investigation.
Sunglow Campground is situated within the Fishlake National Forest in a red rock box canyon approximately 2 miles from Bicknell, Utah. The canyon sits at an elevation of 7,200 feet.
The search response involved multiple agencies, including Wayne County Search and Rescue, Sevier County Search and Rescue, the Utah Highway Patrol, and a crew from the Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter unit.
In a forecast discussion issued on July 19, National Weather Service forecasters in Salt Lake City warned that monsoonal moisture was present across Utah and southwest Wyoming. The agency noted that flash-flood risks were expected to continue across much of the forecast area through at least Thursday, July 23.
