Search crews narrowed their focus Monday to a single missing hiker after flash flooding swept through a popular slot canyon within Grand Canyon National Park over the weekend, killing two members of the same hiking group and scattering others along the canyon floor.
A Wall Of Water With Little Warning
Park officials said a sudden monsoon thunderstorm dumped heavy rain upstream of the canyon Saturday afternoon, sending a fast-moving wall of water through the narrow corridor with little warning for hikers below. Survivors described a sudden roar and a rise in water levels within minutes, giving the group only seconds to scramble for higher ground.
Search And Rescue Effort
The National Park Service, working alongside the Coconino County Sheriff's Office and helicopter crews, recovered two bodies from the canyon Sunday and rescued several other hikers who had become stranded on ledges above the floodwaters. Search teams using canine units and drone equipment resumed the search for the one remaining missing hiker at first light Monday, though officials cautioned that debris and unstable terrain were slowing the effort.
Recurring Danger In The Southwest
Flash flooding in narrow slot canyons is a recurring hazard across the Southwest during the summer monsoon season, when storms far from a canyon's entrance can send floodwaters rushing through with almost no warning at ground level. Park officials renewed warnings to visitors to check forecasts and avoid narrow canyon routes during monsoon months, noting that similar flooding has proven fatal in the region in past years.
The affected section of the canyon remained closed to hikers Monday as search and recovery operations continued, with park officials saying they would provide updates as the search for the missing hiker progresses.