Grand Canyon IDs 2 hikers who died in flooding; 1 remains missing

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Two Texas hikers died in Grand Canyon flooding; one remains missing, officials said.
Over 80 people were rescued after debris flow caused flooding on Saturday.
Grand Canyon implements water restrictions; hotel accommodations closed due to infrastructure damage.

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK — A pair of hikers from Texas were killed after flooding at the Grand Canyon over the weekend, while one hiker from the same group remains missing, park officials said on Tuesday.

John Guisti, 46, and Brent Rosenkranz, 42, both of Granbury, Texas, were identified as the two killed in the flooding. The name of the missing hiker, who was part of the hiking group, was not immediately released.

Over 80 people were trapped in the canyon following a massive debris flow that caused flooding in the Bright Angel Creek area of the canyon on Saturday, said Dave Black, incident commander for Grand Canyon National Park.

Eighty-two people were rescued, some of whom were able to hike out and others were hoisted out of the canyon. Approximately 30 people were unaccounted for by Sunday, based on permits issued for the park at the time flooding began on Saturday.

That number was narrowed down to one after rescues, recoveries and getting a hold of people who were previously unaccounted for.

Finding everyone has been a challenge because rain and additional flood risks have hampered the area on Sunday and Monday, Black said during a press conference Monday evening. He was hopeful that better weather conditions forecast for Tuesday would help find the last missing person.

"We are absolutely holding out hope that (missing person) is still alive," he said. "We will have boots on the ground first thing in the morning, searching the inner canyon."

It's possible more people may have been impacted by the flooding, but they didn't have a permit, officials said in a press conference on Monday. They urge people to contact the park if they have not heard back from a loved one who was at the park at the time of the flooding.

Anyone with information about individuals who may have been hiking or backpacking in or near Bright Angel Canyon on Saturday is asked to call NPS Investigative Services at 888-653-0009.

Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch Canteen and cabins, as well as the entire North Kaibab Trail from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch, remain closed until further notice.

The flooding was the result of the same moisture pattern that caused flooding and severe weather across southern and central Utah over the weekend and the start of this week.

Officials said a storm appears to have fallen over the burn scar from last year's destructive Dragon Bravo Fire, sparking the debris flow that damaged or destroyed several park bridges and infrastructure.

A gauge system installed after last year's blaze alerted park officials that waters were rising on Saturday, said Brian Drapeaux, the park's deputy superintendent. That and observations from rangers in the canyon triggered evacuations in the area.

An incident management team arrived in the canyon within an hour of the event, searching for stranded hikers, Black added. Helicopters were able to be deployed despite the rain, which helped evacuate 45 people on Saturday and more on Sunday.

New restrictions at Grand Canyon

While the search for the last remaining missing hiker continues, Grand Canyon park officials have also implemented Stage 4 water restrictions and closed overnight hotel accommodations after flooding severely damaged the inner canyon's infrastructure.

Approximately 40% of the Transcanyon Waterline was damaged on Saturday, severely impacting the system that supplies water from the canyon to park visitors.

The hotel closure affects El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge, Phantom Ranch and Delaware North's Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village. It doesn't apply to hotels in Tusayan, Arizona, which fall outside of park operations.

Only "dry camping" is permitted beginning this week, and campgrounds across the South Rim will not have spigot access. Water spigot access will only be available at the Mather Campground check-in kiosk, while bathroom faucets will also remain operational.

Residents and visitors are asked to conserve water by limiting showers to five minutes or less, turning off faucets while shaving or brushing teeth, flushing toilets selectively and washing laundry with full loads. All leaks should also be reported to the appropriate offices.

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