Friends and family gathered Saturday night at Utah Lake to support each other and offer hope that rescue crews will locate two teenagers who’ve been missing for days after going tubing at the lake.
Sophie Hernandez, 17, and Priscilla Bienkowski, 18, went tubing on Wednesday in the Knolls area on the west side of the lake and haven’t been seen since.
A tube believed to belong to one of the teens was found along the shoreline, and a second tube was found 2 to 3 miles away on the lake. Other items, like a cellphone and car keys, were also found on the shoreline, FOX13 reported. Utah County Sheriff’s Office said high winds made the lake rough that day.
“We love our girls and we just want them home,” Sophia’s mom, Maria Hernandez, told FOX13 at the vigil.
Police have not yet found the teenagers. Utah County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Spencer Cannon told FOX13 that evidence points to the girls being in the lake, but he said it’s possible they got to shore.
It’s that possibility that keeps Priscilla’s mom, Nancy Sepulveda, optimistic, she told FOX13.
“I feel in my heart that there is hope, that these girls are out there somewhere,” Sepulveda said. “I believe they could come back to us.”
For more, visit FOX13.
Editor’s note: FOX13 and The Salt Lake Tribune are content-sharing partners.
