Due to items that were quickly found, they had some idea of where to dig for the bodies. By afternoon
of the second day, March 23, some of the villagers helping in the dig came upon the body of Kathryn
wrapped in the mattress of her cot. The digging continued, but work was difficult because they had to
dig around so many rocks.
Doug and Al went back to Ukarumpa on the morning of the third day; others kept digging a couple more
days in hopes of locating the other bodies. However, the other bodies were never found. A Western
Union Telegram was sent to the family in the states bearing the sad news.
March 21/71 URGENT! WALT AND VONNIE STEINKRAUS AND CHILDREN BURIED IN VILLAGE BY
LANDSLIDE SUNDAY 21st. STOP. PLEASE NOTIFY NEXT OF KIN. STOP. VONNIE’S FATHER HAS
HEART CONDITION.
Landslide area. (Photo Courtesy of A. Edwin Vinson)
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