Flash Floods Ravage Phantom Ranch in Grand Canyon, Leaving 2 Dead and One Still Missing
A flash flood tore through Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch at the bottom of Grand Canyon National Park over the weekend, killing two people
A flash flood tore through Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch at the bottom of Grand Canyon National Park over the weekend, killing two people and leaving one person still missing as rescue crews keep searching. The storm sent water, boulders and debris into hiking corridors and forced evacuations from one of the canyon’s best-known backcountry stops.
What happened at Phantom Ranch
Authorities said the flooding hit on Aug. 29, after a storm dropped a large amount of rain in a short period of time. The floodwaters surged through Bright Angel Canyon, which feeds into the Grand Canyon, and swept through Phantom Ranch, damaging historic bridges, trails and other structures.
By Aug. 31, park officials said nearly all of the people first reported missing had been accounted for. At a Monday evening briefing, incident commander Dave Black said one person remained missing. Earlier, the National Park Service had received reports of at least 30 missing hikers, though it later said some day hikers in the area were never required to register a permit, so the total number of people in the canyon is not known.
The body of a 46-year-old man was recovered Sunday night near Crystal Rapids on the Colorado River. Family members identified him as Dr. John Giusti, a chiropractor from Granbury, Texas, who had been hiking with two friends. On Monday, officials said a second body had been recovered, but they did not release additional details.
Why Phantom Ranch matters
Phantom Ranch sits at the base of the Grand Canyon and serves hikers, backpackers and river travelers moving through the inner canyon. It is a key stop along Bright Angel Creek and the Colorado River corridor, which drew a heavy response when the flood hit. Air evacuations continued on Sunday afternoon as crews worked through damaged trails and campgrounds.
The National Park Service said the flood forced closures of Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, part of the North Kaibab Trail and sections tied to Colorado River traffic. Officials also said the Transcanyon Waterline suffered severe damage, a serious blow for park operations in a remote area where access is limited and conditions can change fast.
Search and recovery continue
Park officials asked anyone who knew of hikers or backpackers in Bright Angel Canyon on Aug. 29, or anyone with campground reservations in the affected corridor, to contact the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch tip line at 1-888-653-0009. A Red Cross shelter was set up at Grand Canyon High School.
The National Park Service said stage-4 water restrictions took effect on the South Rim at noon Monday. As crews assess the damage, officials are still trying to piece together who was in the canyon before the storm hit. For now, the search has narrowed. But it is not over yet.
