At least 15 people missing after flash flood hits Grand Canyon
A flash flood swept through Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch in Grand Canyon National Park on Saturday, leaving at least 15 people missing and forcing the evacuation of more than 60 visitors.
A flash flood tore through a remote stretch of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on Saturday afternoon, leaving at least 15 people missing or unaccounted for and forcing the evacuation of dozens of visitors, according to the National Park Service.
The flood struck the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch areas, where park staff and the Arizona Department of Public Safety evacuated more than 60 people as of Sunday morning. No injuries have been reported so far, officials said.
The National Park Service has not publicly identified the approximately 15 people it is working to locate. The agency is asking anyone who knows of hikers or backpackers who were in the Bright Angel Creek corridor on Aug. 29 or who had a campground reservation there to contact investigators.
Among those reported missing is Dr. John Giusti, a chiropractor and father of three from Granbury, Texas, according to a public plea from his wife. Giusti was hiking and camping in the canyon when floodwaters swept through the area, his wife said in an update shared by Whipple City Family Chiropractic. She said his hiking group is among those currently reported missing and unaccounted for.
Giusti practiced chiropractic care for 19 years and was a partner at Whipple City Family Chiropractic in New York for eight years before moving to Granbury in 2020, according to his business biography. He and his wife, Janet, are raising three daughters in Texas. Outside of work, Giusti enjoys hiking, hunting, fishing, running and martial arts, his practice said.
The flash flood began at about 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 29, according to the National Park Service. Nearly all footbridges across Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, cutting off hiker access across the waterway. The flooding also forced the closure of Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the North Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch, Black Bridge, Silver Bridge and the Colorado River to river traffic.
Separately, the National Park Service said Sunday evening that recovery operations had been completed for a 46-year-old man near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River. The Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office was on scene. NPS did not identify the man, disclose a cause of death or say whether his recovery was connected to the search for people who remain unaccounted for after the flooding.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said her heart is with the families and loved ones of every person unaccounted for after the flash flooding at the Grand Canyon. Hobbs said the Arizona Division of Emergency Management is coordinating with the National Park Service and Coconino County Emergency Management to support search and recovery efforts.
National Park Service search-and-rescue teams are conducting ground sweeps and helicopter operations across the canyon floor. Anyone with information about people who may have been in the affected corridor is asked to contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch Tip Line at 888-653-0009 or nps_isb@nps.gov.
