At least two people are dead after a flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon on Saturday. National Park Service officials say search and recovery efforts continue for about 15 people still missing or unaccounted for.
Dozens evacuated during flood
The flood occurred in Bright Angel Canyon on Saturday afternoon. As of Sunday morning, more than 60 people had been evacuated from Phantom Ranch, which has a historic canteen and dorms and is a popular spot for rafters to get off and on the river.
Some hikers in the canyon were airlifted to safety, while others ran for their lives. Parth Desai was hiking through a narrow passage in Bright Angel Canyon when heavy rain started falling Saturday.
“We saw the creek flood, waterfalls coming up out of nowhere, boulders, mud, landslides happening everywhere,” he told The Associated Press.
As he made his way toward Phantom Ranch, a fellow hiker shouted “Up, Up, Up, Up!” as a 4-foot (1-meter) wall of debris headed toward them. They ran into a patch of cacti to dodge the debris and were later rescued by a helicopter after making it to the Phantom Ranch area.
So far, the park service has reported two bodies found. The first, a 46-year-old man, was recovered Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River. Grand Canyon National Park shared in a Facebook post on Monday that a second body has been recovered but did not provide further information.
As search and rescue efforts continue, the park service is asking the public to help identify and locate about 15 people who they believe may be missing or unaccounted for. Park officials requests anyone with information about hikers or backpackers who were in the inner canyon along the Bright Angel Creek corridor on August 29 to contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch.
Park officials also warn that forecasted weather on Monday may affect the timing and speed of rescue operations. Weather forecasters say further rain and thunderstorms could bring more flooding to the area.
Park and river closures
The National Park Service closed the Colorado River to river traffic until further notice on Sunday due to “metal structures and debris entering the river.” Authorities emphasize that risk of additional possible heavy rainfall on Monday, which could result in more flash flooding, debris flow, rockfall and changing river and trail conditions. Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch Canteen and cabins and the North Kaibab Trail remain closed until further notice.
River parties in the canyon are receiving direction through river operations rangers and the Grand Canyon River Alert system, which sends emergency messages directly to subscribers’ satellite messaging devices. The park service directs paddlers with upcoming river trips to contact their commercial outfitter or NPS River Permits for information.
Park officials say the flood has caused significant impacts to infrastructure, wiping out nearly all footbridges across Bright Angel Creek and seriously damaging the only water pipeline into the canyon. A $208 million rehabilitation project of the pipeline was expected to be completed next year.
“Preliminary assessments indicate approximately 40% of the Transcanyon Waterline was damaged or destroyed,” the Grand Canyon National Park said in its Facebook post Monday.
The park implemented water restrictions on Sunday to conserve available water supplies while the pipeline remains nonoperational. All overnight lodging in the park has been halted and only dry camping will be permitted. Water spigots at campgrounds on the South Rim will be turned off.
