Photo: IAN MAULE / AFP / Getty Images
The National Park Service recovered human remains in the Grand Canyon on Monday (September 14), near Crystal Rapid on the Colorado River. The remains have been sent to the Coconino County, Arizona Medical Examiner's Office for identification. This discovery comes as search crews continue to look for Timothy Allen Smith, a 53-year-old pilot from Star Valley, Wyoming, who went missing after a flash flood hit the area on August 29.
Smith, along with his friends Dr. John Giusti and Brent Rosenkranz, both from Granbury, Texas, had embarked on a trip to the Grand Canyon on August 27. Tragically, Giusti and Rosenkranz were found deceased shortly after the flood. The trio had planned to explore the canyon and fish together, but their trip was cut short by the sudden natural disaster.
Search efforts have been ongoing, with the Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue Unit (BORSTAR) conducting foot searches near Phantom Ranch and river patrols along the Colorado River. The Grand Canyon area experienced significant damage due to the flash flood, which destroyed footbridges and disrupted infrastructure, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
The National Park Service has urged anyone with information about hikers in the area during the flood to contact their Investigative Services Branch. The search for Smith and others affected by the flood continues, with the park service coordinating rescue and cleanup efforts.