Rescue teams are scouring remote stretches of the Grand Canyon after a flash flood ripped through the park over the weekend, leaving at least 15 hikers missing and one man dead, according to the National Park Service.
The flooding struck Saturday in Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch — two of the canyon’s most heavily used areas. Bright Angel Canyon is home to the park’s most popular trail, and Phantom Ranch, at the bottom of the canyon, offers overnight lodging cabins. Both areas were shuttered Saturday after the heavy rainfall, and more than 62 people had been evacuated by Sunday morning.
The park service said the flash flood dealt a heavy blow to park infrastructure, destroying nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek.
“The flash flood resulted in significant impacts to infrastructure throughout Bright Angel Canyon. Nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, eliminating hiker access across the creek,” the National Park Service said in a statement.
The dead hiker, a 46-year-old man, was found near Crystal Rapids, a notoriously challenging stretch of the Colorado River. His identity has not been publicly released.
Park officials, working alongside the Arizona Department of Public Safety, continued evacuation and response efforts Sunday, trying to account for everyone who may have been in the affected area. They also asked anyone who knew of hikers in the region or held camping reservations to contact authorities.
Colorado River Closed to Traffic
The Colorado River, which cuts through the canyon, has been shut to river traffic until further notice. Park officials said metal structures and debris had entered the water, creating hazards for boaters. River parties already in the canyon were being directed by river operations rangers and the Grand Canyon River Alert system.
The closure adds another layer of difficulty to an already complex rescue operation, as officials work to reach hikers in areas accessible only by foot or river.
Evacuated Hiker: ‘It Would Have Been Game Over’
One evacuated hiker, David Gregory, credited rescue efforts with saving his life, telling AZ Family that the danger was immediate and severe.
“I definitely think we could have gotten caught up in that side creek, and if we would have fallen in or the water carried us in, I think it would have been game over,” Gregory said. “Because that creek was moving so quickly, there was so many rocks and tree branches and then once you get into the Colorado River, it was like a whirlpool in there with all the debris circling around.”
Gregory’s account underscores the violence of the flash flood, which turned normally manageable creeks into fast-moving torrents clogged with rocks and timber.
More Rain on the Way
Forecasters predict more rain Monday, which could trigger additional flooding and further damage to park infrastructure. That prospect complicates search efforts and raises concerns about the safety of rescue crews and any hikers still awaiting evacuation.
The National Park Service has not released a full list of the missing hikers or details on where they were last seen, but officials said the search is focusing on remote areas of the canyon where access is difficult.
The Grand Canyon draws millions of visitors each year, and flash floods are a known hazard in the region, particularly during monsoon season. But the scale of this event — with dozens of evacuations, widespread infrastructure destruction, and multiple missing persons — marks it as one of the more serious flooding incidents in recent memory at the park.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about hikers who may have been in the area to come forward, as the search continues into the coming days.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/hikers-vanish-as-flash-flood-sweeps-through-grand-canyon