Tragedy at Sunglow Campground: Provo Fire Captain Spencer Long, His Wife and Three Sons Killed in a Flash Flood

On the evening of Friday, July 17, a terrifying flash‑flood roared down the wash at Sunglow Campground, just outside the small town of Bicknell in Wayne County, Utah. In a matter of minutes the peaceful river turned into a raging wall of water, sweeping everything in its path.

First responders got the call just after 5 p.m., reporting a body in the water. By the time Wayne County Sheriff Micah A. Gulley and his deputies arrived, the scene was chaotic – mud‑slicked cars, torn tents, and the unmistakable smell of devastation.

Among the victims were Provo Fire & Rescue Captain Spencer Long, a veteran of the department for nearly three decades, his wife Katrina Long – who co‑founded Summit Medical Spa – and their three sons: Reid, Thayne and Gage. A lone survivor, their daughter Lydia (now Lydia Vernon), was pulled from the water, battered but alive.

According to Sheriff Gulley, the flood was triggered by an intense bout of rain that fell earlier in the day, turning normally benign washes into a deadly torrent. "We believe the heavy rainfall caused the water levels to rise very quickly," he said at the press conference.

The Long family had arrived at the campground around 11:30 a.m. that same day, hoping for a relaxed hike and a bit of canyoneering. The sudden storm turned what should have been a day of family fun into an unimaginable nightmare.

Provo Fire & Rescue posted a somber statement on its social media channels, honoring Captain Long’s decades of service and expressing deep sorrow for his family. "Spencer was a pillar of our department and community," the post read, "and his loss will be felt by all who knew him."

Neighbors, fellow firefighters and strangers alike have rallied around the surviving daughter, setting up a GoFundMe that quickly raised more than $12,000 to help cover immediate needs.

As investigators continue to piece together exactly how the waters surged, the community mourns a family that seemed, by all accounts, to have everything – a loving marriage, three bright young men and a daughter who now carries the weight of a tragic loss.