2 dead, 1 still missing after Grand Canyon flash flooding - Video

The bodies of a Texas chiropractor and a lifelong martial artist have been found after a major flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon. One person remains unaccounted for after about 80 others were rescued over the weekend, officials said Monday.

Saturday’s flash flood severely damaged the only water pipeline serving Grand Canyon National Park. Officials barred tourists from staying at lodges and hotels inside the park and issued emergency water restrictions for year-round residents. Waves of torrential rain hit the Bright Angel Creek area of the tourist destination that hosts 4.4 million visitors a year.

Grand Canyon Deputy Superintendent Brian Drapeaux said officials haven’t fully surveyed the damage, but the park has said about 40% of the pipeline is damaged.

Incident Cmdr. Dave Black said searchers used night vision and other equipment to find people who needed rescuing during the deluge. By sunset Saturday, 45 people were rescued, and 37 more were evacuated Sunday.

Rangers referred to the park’s permit system and checked vehicle license plates to track the number of missing people.

“As of right now, they have no reason to believe, from the tips we’ve been through so far, that there’s anybody besides the one” missing person, Black said during a news conference Monday evening.

The flood happened deep in the canyon on Bright Angel Creek, which flows into the Colorado River near Phantom Ranch. The area has a set of historic dormitories, a canteen and a campground that is a popular stopover for river rafters and people hiking from one rim of the Grand Canyon to the other.

Scores of visitors had to be evacuated from 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 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.

READ MORE: https://13wham.com/news/nation-world/two-bodies-recovered-amid-ongoing-rescue-efforts-following-grand-canyon-flooding
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