1 Dead, 15 Missing in Grand Canyon Flash Flood

A weekend flash flood killed one hiker, left about 15 unaccounted for, and forced 62 airlift evacuations from the Grand Canyon's inner canyon.

A significant flash flood tore through Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area of Grand Canyon National Park beginning around 2:30 p.m. Saturday, August 29, according to the National Park Service. Storms swept the inner canyon twice — once in the morning and again in the evening — dumping roughly an inch of rain in 24 hours. The floodwaters destroyed nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek, eliminating hiker access across the creek, and prompted helicopter evacuations of 62 people from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail.

Park officials confirmed Sunday night that the body of a 46-year-old man was recovered near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River; the Coconino County Medical Examiner is investigating, per FOX Weather, which notes it is not yet clear whether the death is connected to the flooding. Roughly 15 people remain unaccounted for — down from an earlier working estimate of more than 20, according to CNN, which reported the missing may have been on backcountry itineraries or day hiking in the North Kaibab/Phantom Ranch area. Officials are asking anyone who knows of hikers in the Bright Angel Creek corridor on August 29 to contact the NPS tip line at 888-653-0009.

Campers recounted harrowing escapes as the flood hit. Erica Viola, who was camping at Bright Angel Campground, told ABC News that rangers ordered campers to run for a bridge, and that once they reached it, 'this 15-foot wall of water came through the campground in Phantom Ranch and just wiped out all the bridges in the creek.' She said she watched bunkhouses, grills, ice chests, and even an excavator float down the Colorado River. David Gregory, 59, told CNN and the Arizona Republic that the creek beside his Phantom Ranch cabin turned black with debris before a ranger ordered him out; a bridge he crossed was later washed away.

Beyond the destroyed footbridges, the flood knocked out the Transcanyon Waterline, which supplies water to the park, forcing Stage 4 water restrictions on the South Rim starting Monday at noon. Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch Canteen and cabins, and the entire North Kaibab Trail are closed until further notice, as are the Black Bridge and Silver Bridge crossing the Colorado River. The river itself is closed to boat traffic due to metal structures and debris — including, according to FOX Weather, a metal building washed into the water. Officials report no reopening timeline.

The disruption comes just ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend, when the park would normally be near peak attendance — CNN notes the Grand Canyon drew more than 400,000 visitors last month. Under the new restrictions, all park concessions will halt overnight hotel stays starting Monday, only dry camping will be permitted, and all wood-burning and charcoal fires are prohibited on the South Rim, according to CNN. The park remains open for day use, but Xanterra will contact guests with Phantom Ranch reservations about their status, per FOX Weather.

Air evacuations, coordinated between Grand Canyon National Park staff and the Arizona Department of Public Safety, continued Sunday afternoon, with additional evacuations planned from Cottonwood Campground and Phantom Ranch. Evacuees are being sheltered at Maswik Lodge Cafeteria on the South Rim, where the American Red Cross is coordinating assistance, according to the National Park Service. Helicopter searches of the North Kaibab Trail and the Colorado River on Sunday found no additional individuals, per CNN.