Over the weekend, a devastating flash flood at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona created deadly conditions, leaving two people confirmed dead as of Monday, Aug. 31.
Following the sudden flooding on Saturday, Aug. 29, approximately 15 people were initially reported missing.
Now, on Tuesday, Sept. 1, the National Park Service (NPS) says nearly everyone who was unaccounted for has been safely located, with just one person still missing.
According to CBS News, the remaining missing person is a man named Timothy Allen Smith. Smith was camping alongside the two people who were confirmed dead in the flooding: 46-year-old Dr. John Giusti, whose body was recovered Sunday, and 42-year-old Brent Rosencrantz, whose body was found Monday.
The NPS said on its Facebook page, “Search and recovery efforts continue following the flooding in Grand Canyon National Park.”
The search for Smith has now entered its fourth day, with crews continuing to work through some of the hardest-hit areas of the canyon. Search efforts are focused around the inner canyon near Bright Angel Creek, along the North Kaibab Trail, at Bright Angel Campground, and in an area known as “the Box,” north of Phantom Ranch.
In an Aug. 30 press release, the NPS reported that 62 people had already been evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail. Additional evacuations were also planned for Cottonwood Campground and Phantom Ranch with assistance from the National Park Service and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Thankfully, no injuries were reported among those who had been evacuated at that time.
By Sept. 1, CBS News reported that the number of people safely evacuated had increased to 82.
The flooding has also caused significant damage to infrastructure throughout the canyon. On Aug. 31, the NPS said that preliminary assessments showed approximately 40% of the Transcanyon Waterline had been damaged or destroyed.
Because of dangerous water levels and debris, public access to the Colorado River has been closed. Two bridges crossing the river, the Black Bridge and Silver Bridge, have also been shut down.
Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, the Phantom Ranch Canteen and cabins, as well as the entire North Kaibab Trail from the trailhead to Phantom Ranch, remain closed until further notice.
The NPS also confirmed that all of the footbridges crossing Bright Angel Creek were destroyed by the powerful floodwaters.
The devastating aftermath has left significant damage across the Grand Canyon. See eyewitness footage showing the destruction caused by the flooding below.
See the fast moving water in the Grand Canyon, here: