Nearly all individuals unaccounted for following flash floods in the Grand Canyon have been located, the National Parks Service (NPS) reported Monday. Two adult males have been confirmed dead.
Incident Commander Dave Black stated that rangers worked "tirelessly" to reduce the number of missing persons from an initial 30. The floodwaters, which struck Saturday afternoon, were powerful enough to sweep away footbridges and move large boulders downstream. The NPS had previously announced the discovery of a 46-year-old man's body near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River.
Rescue operations involved the airlift of dozens of people from Phantom Ranch, one of the park's most severely impacted areas. An initial 45 individuals were evacuated by air on Saturday, followed by a group of 37 on Sunday afternoon. Crews were scheduled to deploy Tuesday morning to search for the final missing person in the area between Phantom Ranch and Cottonwood Manzanita.
Officials noted that heavy rain was forecast to continue overnight from Monday into Tuesday, raising the risk of additional flash flooding in the region. Further details regarding the identities of the deceased have not yet been released.
