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Amanda Butterfield and Sam Penrod ReportingAn entire community tonight is dealing with one family's trip that turned tragic.
The family was driving through a canyon near Price over the weekend when a wall of water slammed into their SUV. The water then swept the family into the stream and carried their one-year-old son away.
Crews spent all day combing creek beds, but the boy is presumed drowned. Tomorrow at 7 am, divers will search the Price River at a spot where canines picked up a scent of him.
It is just a heartbreaking situation, as searchers try to find the body of one-year Jayden Seal, who was washed away yesterday. So far searchers have not found any sign of him. And, his brother and sister remain hospitalized this evening.
The Seal family from Carbon County, including the parents Josh and Courtney Seal, were out for a Sunday drive west of Price when their Bronco got caught in the wall of water, described to be twenty feet high. Pictures show just how damaged their SUV is from the water and debris.
The family of five got out, but the water was so powerful it washed them into the stream. The parents and a five-year old boy and a three-year old girl did get away from the raging water. Sadly, the one-year-old boy Jayden did not.
"Well, he was just a sweet little guy." That's how Jayden's great-grandfather remembers him.
Today, trained searchers and search dogs walked up and down a six mile stretch of what is known as Garley's wash for any sign of him. The search extended down to the Price River as well.
Capt. Guy Adams, Carbon County Sheriff's Office: "The vehicle started to slide and they unbuckled the kids from the inside of the vehicle. The wall of water come down and it just started to roll, they were just reaching for kids, and trying to find what they could. And it just so happens the one-year old didn't get picked up."
Home video taken last night near the golf course gives you an idea of just how much water came down, from the heavy downpour in the mountains.
Two four wheelers also got caught in the flash flood. The riders escaped, but even today there is no sign of their ATV's. So it is a difficult job for the searchers.
Unfortunately, it does not look good for the five-year old boy, Levi. He and his three-year old sister Brookland are at Primary Children's Medical Center. We're told Levi is in critical condition. Brookland is expected to be okay.
Now searchers are hoping to bring closure to the family by recovering the one-year old's body. They'll continue the search Tuesday morning.
The tragedy is tough for residents of this small community. One woman told us, "We don't get too many tragedies. When we do, everybody knows about it. It's absolutely terrible, horrible."
Those interested in donating to the Seal family can make donations in their name to:
Washington Federal Savings
308 East Main
Price, UT 84501
435-637-7102
