×

Ninth flood victim ID’d

WHEELING — The identity of a ninth victim of June 14 flash flooding in Ohio County was confirmed Thursday, bringing closure for a family — and perhaps an end to the fatalities resulting from the tragedy.

Ohio County Emergency Management Agency Director Lou Vargo said Thursday a body found late Tuesday in Wetzel County near Clarington, Ohio, has been identified as Sandra K. Parsons, 83, of Triadelphia.

Parsons was the last of the residents reported missing since the flood that had not been found. Vargo added no additional people have been reported as missing, and he and other officials do not believe there will be any more fatalities directly from the flooding.

Vargo said the Wetzel County detachment of the West Virginia State Police and the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Charleston were involved in the positive identification of Parson’s body.

Other victims of the June 14 flood in Triadelphia and Valley Grove were Lisa McMasters, 59; Michael Bokanovich, 73; Kyleigh Minch Shotton, 26, and her daughter, Parker Shotton, 3; Travis Creighton, 19; Jesse Pearson, 43; and Connie and Michael Veronis, 71 and 74, respectively.

“We feel confident this should be the closure of all victims,” Vargo said. “We’re still finding cars in the creek — we’ve retrieved over 80 cars now. … I think we feel confident that she is the last victim of this tragic event.”

Ohio County Sheriff Nelson Croft added that as the water continues to recede search teams are continuing to find more vehicles.

“The fact is someone could have been traveling through that area no one knows is missing,” Croft said. “I hope and pray that is not the case, but it is a possibility.”

Assistant EMA Director Tony Campbell noted “we can never be sure there is no one else.”

“But we’ve combed the creek banks so many times. We’ve flown drones. We’ve had cadaver dogs. We’ve done exhaustive searches of the river,” Campbell said. “Even in Wetzel County, where they had debris piled up, they couldn’t find anything.”

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today