Source : Perth Now news
Family members have identified a hiker killed in weekend flooding in the Grand Canyon as a Texas chiropractor and say two other men who went on their dream trip remain missing.
John Giusti and his friends planned to spend two nights at the bottom of the canyon fishing and exploring. They spoke to their families on Thursday and found their campsite on Friday. They have not been heard from since, the three families said in a joint statement released on Monday.
Searchers on the air and ground continue to look for Brent Rosenkranz and Timothy Smith, their families said.
Rescue crews looking for missing people have found at least two bodies since a major flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon, and forecasters warned on Monday that more flooding was possible as heavy rain shrouded the canyon walls.
More than a dozen people were missing following waves of rain in the Bright Angel Creek area of Grand Canyon National Park, which hosts 4.4 million visitors a year.
Saturday’s flash flood severely damaged the only water pipeline into the canyon.
Officials barred tourists from staying at lodges and hotels inside Grand Canyon National Park and issued emergency water restrictions for year-round residents.
The flood threatened people who hike far into the Grand Canyon
The flood happened deep in the canyon near where the Colorado River flows, around popular lodges and camping areas where people hiking from one rim of the Grand Canyon to the other stop for the night.
Scores of visitors had to be evacuated from the area by helicopter. They talked of a massive deluge and rangers warning of rockslides, and saw huge pools of logs and debris rolling down the river as they stood nearby awaiting rescue.
Hiker Daniel Evans said it rained several times before the worst 30-minute downpour on Saturday afternoon. He had been planning to rest through the hot day and spend the night near the hard-hit Bright Angel campground area.
Earlier, rangers told him it looked to be safe. Then, as the rain poured, they told him it was time to go. He thought of Nepal and the massive floods and landslides that poured down mountain valleys last week.
“The entire time it was raining – the entire time I’m going through all this and packing – I’m just keeping my eyes upstream, just praying that a wall of water isn’t coming toward us,” Evans said.
The body of a 46-year-old man was recovered on Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River, the National Park Service said without providing details. Crews on Monday were trying to recover a second body, park officials said in an email that provided no other details.
More than a dozen people remained missing and officials urged anyone who was in the park when the flood happened to contact park rangers or anyone else to let them know they are okay.
Late on Monday morning more rain fell as the state Department of Emergency and Military Affairs was co-ordinating with the park service and county emergency management officials in search and recovery efforts.
