Coroner confirms identities of two victims pulled from massive B.C. landslide

JOHNSONS LANDING, B.C. – The B.C. Coroners Service confirmed the identities Friday of the two bodies dug out of a massive landslide that struck Johnsons Landing in southeast B.C. a week ago.

Valentine Webber, 60 and his daughter Diana, 22, were identified through visual and dental examination.

Webber’s 17-year-old daughter Rachel and a 64-year-old German tourist named Petra Frehse are still missing.

A search for their bodies was put on hold Wednesday night as experts assess the situation.

Harsh weather and the unstable debris from the slide were causing concerns for the search and rescue teams combing through the mud in search of the missing people.

The landslide roared down the mountainside and through the tiny remote community of 35 people north of Nelson on July 12 after heavy rain in the region.

Experts say it appears a series of smaller incidents caused a chain reaction that led to the bursting of a creek and gully, which became the landslide.

Earlier this week authorities said they weren’t sure when other residents would be able to return to their homes, and asked the public to stay clear of the still dangerous slide area.

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