Flash flood in Grand Canyon kills one, leaves more than 15 missing as search continues

Story Timeline
4 days · 7 summary articles
A flash flood in the Grand Canyon on Saturday killed at least one person and left more than 15 missing, as search-and-rescue operations continued Monday, according to the National Park Service.
The flood struck the Bright Angel Canyon area near Phantom Ranch at 2:30 p.m. local time Saturday, destroying nearly all footbridges over Bright Angel Creek and damaging a critical water line, the park service said. The infrastructure damage left hikers unable to cross the creek and forced the closure of some overnight lodgings. Authorities warned of further thunderstorms and heavy rain that could trigger additional flooding or rockslides .
Among the missing is Dr. John Giusti, a Texas chiropractor and father of three, whose wife said in a public plea that he and his hiking group were unaccounted for after the flood. The National Park Service confirmed it was conducting ground and helicopter searches but did not publicly identify those missing. A 46-year-old man’s body was recovered Sunday near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River, though officials did not link the recovery to the missing hikers or disclose a cause of death .
More than 60 people were evacuated from the affected area by Sunday morning, according to reports. Popular sites including Bright Angel Campground, the North Kaibab Trail and Phantom Ranch remained closed as crews worked to account for all visitors and staff in the corridor .
The flood’s impact extended beyond the canyon, as authorities in Nepal reported a rising death toll from a separate but concurrent disaster. Nepal’s disaster management authority said 903 people had died and 4,247 were missing after a glacier collapse triggered catastrophic flooding in the Himalayas on Wednesday. The floods trapped at least 933 workers in hydropower tunnels, with rescue efforts hampered by rising water levels and poor weather. In China’s Tibet region, 16 deaths and 546 missing were confirmed, including three Germans .
Nepalese authorities began temporary burials of unidentified victims Sunday, citing public health risks, a move that drew criticism from some Hindus over the handling of remains. Bodies were recovered as far as 200 kilometers from the disaster zone in Nepal’s Chitwan district, where mass burials commenced .
Follow us for live European news
- 3
- 2
- 2
- 2
- 2
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
2 further sources not geolocated







