Crews search Grand Canyon for hikers after deadly flash floods
Fox News senior national correspondent William La Jeunesse reports on search and rescue operations at the Grand Canyon after a flash flood left one person dead and 15 hikers missing. National Park Service teams evacuated dozens by helicopter as search crews scoured the Kaibab Trail and areas along the Colorado River to locate unaccounted individuals.
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The two victims whose remains were found after flash flooding swept through the Grand Canyon were seen photographed on the same trip prior to the deadly incident.
The families of Texas chiropractor John Giusti, 46, and martial artist Brent Rosenkranz, 42, identified them as the two people whose bodies were recovered, according to Hannah Barricks, a liaison for the families. She told The Associated Press that a third friend, Timothy Smith, 53, went on the trip with them and remains missing as of late Monday.
All three men had ties to Granbury, Texas, and their families said they planned “several days of hiking, camping, fishing and exploring together,” the AP also reported. The men spoke to their families Thursday and found their campsite Friday at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, the three families said in a joint statement released earlier Monday through Barricks.
The devastating flash flooding on Saturday, Aug. 29, happened along 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.
GRAND CANYON WATER PIPELINE DAMAGED AGAIN AS FLOODING COMPLICATES REPAIRS
People wait near a bridge as a helicopter flies nearby during flash flooding in the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on Saturday, Aug. 29. John Giusti, inset left, and Brent Rosenkranz, inset right, have been identified as the two victims. (Wieke De Boer/Reuters; Giusti family/Hannah Barricks/AP; Rosenkranz family/Hannah Barricks/AP)
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 others 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.
Timothy Smith is shown during a family trip to Zion National Park in Utah in July 2026. Smith’s family says he is missing from a trip to the Grand Canyon in August 2026. (Smith family/Hannah Barricks/AP)
Hiker Daniel Evans told the AP that 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 said he thought of Nepal and the massive floods and landslides that poured down mountain valleys last week.
BELOVED TEXAS CHIROPRACTOR KILLED IN GRAND CANYON FLASH FLOOD
John Giusti, of Granbury, Texas, was killed when a flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon. (John Giusti/Facebook)
“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.
Janet Giusti, the wife of John Giusti, wrote on a fundraising page that “John was living out a lifetime dream exploring the majesty of the Grand Canyon when tragedy struck.”
“Beyond his practice, he was a man of electric energy and boundless passion — an avid runner, an enthusiast of fast cars, and a massive fan of comic books and legendary heroes,” she added. “Yet out of all the titles he carried, his absolute favorite was being a devoted father to his three beautiful girls.”
Rosenkranz had posted selfies from the Grand Canyon before the flooding, tagging Giusti and sharing his excitement about the grueling adventure ahead.
“Just arrived at the Grand Canyon. Will be hiking over 31 miles next four days with vertical change of over a mile,” Rosenkranz wrote. “Carrying a 40 lb backpack. This should be an adventure!”
Brent Rosenkranz is shown during an August 2026 trip to Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona where his body was recovered after flash flooding. (Rosenkranz family/Hannah Barricks/AP)
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Tina Newberry, whose daughter co-owns the ATA Glen Rose martial arts location, said Giusti had been exploring the canyon with fellow “ATA fathers” Rosenkranz and Smith when disaster struck.
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
