'I miss them both': Family of Pearland couple missing in Utah after flash floods hope they'll be found safe

HOUSTON — The brother and sister-in-law of a Pearland couple who went missing while exploring a trail in Utah Friday speak to KPRC 2 about the details of that trip as search teams continue to look for them.

“I miss them, I miss them both. I love them and I wish I could go back in time and see them still there,” said Mark Ankofski, Ray Ankofski’s brother.

Mark and his wife Angie fought back tears as they spoke about Ray and his wife Maranda.

“He’s my brother, you know. We grew up together, hunting, fishing, camping. There are so many great memories,” Mark said.

On Saturday, June 15, the couple, who share two children, put their love of the outdoors into action, taking a nearly 1,300-mile road trip from their home in Pearland to Utah.

“They really loved this area and they loved climbing on the rocks. It’s definitely attracted them back because they’ve been going there for the last three or four years,” Angie said.

Angie says that although her in-laws had been to explore Utah many times before, this was the first time they had ventured on the Steel Bender Trail east of Moab. Friday, something went wrong.

“We were able to track down someone who was actually on the trail and saw him around 5:20 that evening, and so at least we know the last time anyone actually saw him,” Angie said .

The Grand County Sheriff's Office told KSL-TV, an NBC affiliate in Utah, that it believes Ray and Maranda were caught in flash flood waters and that the all-terrain vehicle they were driving may have fallen 3/4 of a mile before coming to a stop.

“All you have are these images and thoughts of what could have happened,” Angie said.

So far, all that has been recovered is Ray and Maranda's SUV, Ray's jeans that contained his wallet and ID, and the vehicle they used to travel to Utah, but back home in the Houston area, hope is not lost.

“I just hope that maybe they're injured and they can't get out of a cave or wherever they are, and that the recovery team finds them and we can get them home safe and alive,” Angie said.

Mark and Angie announced that they would be leaving tomorrow for Utah to meet the Grand County Sheriff who would take them to the scene of the accident. They would assess the situation and offer their support to the search teams, which was much appreciated.