As the news media continues to request and publish details about the 12 victims that died in Monday's flash flood in Hildale, Utah, the mayor admits this kind of exposure is uncomfortable for the residents, who are mostly members of the FLDS religion, many of them active polygamists.
"There's a tight-knit group of people and this is our town and we're here to support eachother," said Mayor Philip Barlow at a Wednesday news conference where he confirmed the names of the three female adult victims as: Josephine Jessop, Naomi Jessop and Della Black. He also confirmed the rest of the victims were children, along with a six year-old boy, Tyson Black, who is still missing.
Barlow's private and secluded border town is now crawling with hundreds of unfamiliar faces; including media looking for information and rescue crews and volunteers searching for Tyson.
"It's a humbling and tragic event that has brought us here but the communities have been great. They've been very welcoming," said Capt. Brian Yardley, one of 26 members of the Utah National Guard deployed by Gov. Gary Herbert to help in search and recovery efforts.
The National Guard has teamed up with Utah Task Force One to comb through nearly seven miles of wide-spread riverbank, downstream from Monday's flash flood that swept two vehicles full of children over a cliff.
"I don't know what everybody else's feelings are, but for myself its a wakeup call and it's a reality check," said Barlow.
The FLDS church is known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, headed by Warren Jeffs.