A desperate search is continuing inside the Grand Canyon after a devastating wall of floodwater tore through one of the national park’s most remote areas, killing at least two people and leaving another person still unaccounted for.
Officials initially feared as many as 15 people could be missing following the catastrophic weekend flooding, but an exhaustive effort involving hundreds of phone calls, permit checks and vehicle license plate searches has dramatically narrowed that number.
By Monday evening, incident commander Dave Black said authorities believed just one known person remained missing.
“As far as permitting and cross-checking all the people that we know of, we have one person unaccounted for,” Black said.
However, officials cautioned that day hikers who entered the canyon without permits could potentially have been in the area when powerful monsoon storms triggered the flash floods.
Two people have already been confirmed dead.
The body of a 46-year-old man was recovered from Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River, according to the National Park Service. A second body was later recovered, although authorities initially released few details about the victim.
Family members identified one of those killed as Texas chiropractor John Giusti, 46.
Giusti had traveled to the Grand Canyon with friends Brent Rosenkranz and Timothy Smith for what their families described as a long-awaited adventure.
Rosenkranz, 42, of Granbury, Texas, was also confirmed dead by his family early Tuesday.
His relatives described him as an energetic and optimistic martial arts instructor and school owner who had influenced generations of students.
For Giusti, the Grand Canyon trip had reportedly been a lifelong dream.
He leaves behind a wife and three daughters.
“To the community, he was a gifted healer. To his friends, a powerhouse of life. To his daughters, he was their ultimate hero. To me, he was my whole world,” his wife, Janet Giusti, said.
Just hours before disaster struck, Giusti had been sharing photographs from the canyon on social media.
“Day one Arrived at the Grand Canyon,” he wrote alongside a selfie and sweeping landscape images.
He had also told patients he planned to share stretching, hydration and chiropractic advice while completing his adventure.
Then the flooding came.
Beginning Saturday, helicopters began evacuating visitors from Phantom Ranch and surrounding portions of the canyon. By Sunday, 82 people had been rescued.
Authorities scrambled to determine who was still inside.
Investigators made hundreds of calls and checked vehicle license plates, eventually reducing the missing-person count from 15 to 12 and then to one.
Some people initially feared missing later responded to messages confirming they had safely escaped.
“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 that we’re looking for,” Black said.
The destruction inside the canyon has been staggering.
Every footbridge along Bright Angel Creek was destroyed, according to park officials, wiping out critical crossings used by hikers.
Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground and a large portion of the North Kaibab Trail were closed.
Floodwaters also badly damaged the Transcanyon Waterline, the roughly 12½-mile pipeline that serves as the park’s primary water system.
Officials estimated that as much as 40% of the pipeline had been affected, leaving the park with dangerously limited water reserves.
Campgrounds were left without running water, fires were prohibited and visitors were urged to conserve every available drop.
A massive $208 million modernization of the aging pipeline has been underway since 2023, but the flood reportedly swept away construction materials, worker lodging and equipment.
Veteran Grand Canyon explorer Rich Rudow, 61, said the flooding was unlike almost anything he had witnessed during nearly four decades exploring the park.
“I’ve seen hundreds of flash floods in Grand Canyon National Park — literally hundreds,” Rudow said. “This is uncharacteristically large, larger than anything I’ve seen personally.”
One particularly frightening area is a roughly two-mile stretch of Bright Angel Canyon known as “The Box.”
The narrow trail is surrounded by towering rock walls, giving hikers virtually nowhere to escape if floodwaters suddenly roar through.
“There’s no way to climb up and get above floodwater,” Rudow said. “You’re trapped in that particular area.”
Even emergency satellite GPS devices may struggle there because the enormous canyon walls can block signals.
Survivors have described terrifyingly close calls.
David Gregory said he crossed a footbridge near Phantom Ranch shortly before the raging water destroyed it.
He was later airlifted to safety along with dozens of other people.
“It was kind of crazy hearing after that the bridge that we crossed was wiped out,” Gregory said.
Another video reportedly showed a man standing on a footbridge watching the violent flood rage beneath him.
“We’re cooked!” he exclaimed.
The flooding came as roughly 7 million people across a wide section of the Southwest were placed under flood watches, stretching from southern Arizona toward northern Colorado and into Utah.
Continued storms have complicated search efforts inside the canyon, where steep terrain, destroyed infrastructure and rapidly changing weather can turn rescue operations extremely dangerous.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said state emergency officials were assisting the National Park Service and Coconino County authorities.
“My heart is with the families and loved ones of every person unaccounted for after the flash flooding at the Grand Canyon,” Hobbs wrote.
The disaster is another reminder of how quickly conditions can become deadly inside one of America’s most famous national parks.
Last year alone, the Grand Canyon recorded 11 deaths, nearly 850 medical incidents and approximately 230 search-and-rescue operations.
Search crews are continuing to hunt for the final missing person.
Despite the destruction and dangerous conditions, officials say they have not given up.
“We are absolutely holding out hope that that person is still alive,” Black said.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.