The second victim of the devastating flash floods that swept through the Grand Canyon has been identified as Brent Rosenkranz, a 42-year-old father of three from Texas. His wife publicly identified him on Monday, and the National Park Service confirmed Tuesday that his body had been recovered. Authorities continue to search for a third missing hiker, believed to be 53-year-old pilot Timothy Smith, also from Texas. Smith was reportedly hiking with Rosenkranz and the other recovered victim, John Giusti, 46. Giusti, a chiropractor and father of three, was identified as the first victim whose body was recovered.
The flash floods occurred Saturday around 2:30 p.m. in parts of the Grand Canyon, sweeping hikers and backpackers off trails near the Colorado River. Search crews utilized night vision goggles and other equipment to locate individuals during the deluge. By sunset on Saturday, 45 people had been rescued, with an additional 37 evacuated on Sunday. Officials initially believed approximately 15 people remained missing, but by Sunday evening, Incident Commander Dave Black stated there was no reason to believe anyone other than one person was unaccounted for.
Rosenkranz, Giusti, and Smith all lived in or had family connections to Granbury, Texas, a city southwest of Dallas. The families appear to have shared connections to martial arts. Rosenkranz and his wife, Elisha Rosenkranz, co-founded a martial arts school called Texas Elite. Elisha Rosenkranz described her husband as her "balance" and noted their shared dream of living life to the fullest. A fundraising effort has been initiated to help cover funeral expenses and the cost of transporting his body back to Texas.
Janet Giusti, wife of John Giusti, stated that her husband was "living out a lifetime dream exploring the majesty of the Grand Canyon when tragedy struck." She added that they found "small comfort in knowing he spent his final moments surrounded by breathtaking beauty, living life to the fullest."