Grand Canyon flash flooding sees 15 hikers declared lacking, 62 evacuated

The National Park Service is seeking information about more than a dozen people who may be missing or unaccounted for after flash flooding in the Grand Canyon at the weekend

Authorities from the Grand Canyon National Park are still looking for at least 15 people still missing following flash floods at the iconic Arizona nature reserve.

A recovery mission for one 46-year-old man has also been completed, authorities confirmed, near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River.

In a statement, issued at 6.30pm local time, a spokesperson for the Grand Canyon National Park said: “The Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office is currently onsite. There is no additional information to share at this time.”

Officials now also appealing to the public to help trace individuals who were in the area and travelling near the North Kaibab Trail from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch at the time of the floods.

This includes anyone who was staying at Bright Angel Campground, or travelling or staying in the region known as ‘the Box’ north of Phantom Ranch.

It remains unclear who the 15 missing people are, or where they are from.

However, 62 others were rescued from the park yesterday during the flooding which forced the evacuation of dozens and swept massive boulders, metal structures and other debris into the Colorado River flowing through it, the National Park Service confirmed.

The flooding in Bright Angel Creek, which feeds into the river, occurred on Saturday afternoon.

Torrents of water destroyed footbridges spanning the creek and dramatically transformed the landscape, broadening the creek bed and forming what appeared to be a new river rapid.

The park service said it was seeking information about more than 15 people who may be missing or unaccounted for following the flood and urged anyone with details about people hiking or camping in the vicinity to come forward. It said it was working with the Arizona Department of Public Safety to continue evacuations on Sunday.

“This is a reminder of what a dynamic and active landscape Grand Canyon is,” said Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University.

Popular tourist destinations including the Bright Angel Campground, Phantom Ranch and sections of the North Kaibab trail remained shut on Sunday while park officials assessed the damage, the park said.

River rafting excursions on the Colorado River have also been suspended for the time being.

More than 60 people were evacuated from Phantom Ranch, which features a historic canteen and dormitories, and serves as a popular location for rafters to embark and disembark from the river.

Additional evacuations were scheduled for Sunday, the park said. No injuries have been reported.

Erica Viola said she was at Bright Angel Campground when the downpour began Saturday afternoon, and she along with roughly 50 other hikers watched the creek swell and then debris begin flowing past, including what appeared to be a bunkhouse.

The group was airlifted to safety by helicopter, cutting her adventure short by two days, she said.

Approximately half an inch to one inch (one centimetre to 2.5 centimetres) of rain fell within roughly 30 minutes in the rocky terrain where there’s a sharp drop in elevation, said National Weather Service meteorologist Justin Johndrow in Flagstaff.

“Most of it ran off instantly,” Johndrow said.

He said the flooding occurred on the north side of the Grand Canyon, where Bright Angel Creek flows from the North Rim down to the Colorado River, plunging around 6,000 feet (1,828 metres). Further rainfall and thunderstorms were anticipated for the region through to Monday.