Grand Canyon hiker missing after flash floods and evacuations
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As at the morning of Aug 25, one hiker remained missing.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
ARIZONA - A hiker remained missing on Aug 25, according to the National Park Service, and more than 100 people were evacuated after flash flooding at a remote reservation on the border of Grand Canyon National Park.
The Havasupai Indian Reservation, which is known for its stunning waterfalls and is visited by thousands of tourists each year, was inundated on Aug 22, prompting rescues and evacuations over the last several days.
Governor Katie Hobbs of Arizona deployed the state National Guard on Aug 23 to help tribal, county, state and federal agencies respond to the flooding at the reservation, which can be reached only by foot, mule or helicopter and is administered by the Havasupai Tribe.
An estimated 104 tourists and tribal members have been evacuated from the area since Aug 22, US newspaper The Arizona Republic reported.
The National Guard helped people stranded at high-altitude areas near Havasupai Falls and brought food and water to the area. Representatives for the National Guard and the governor’s office could not be immediately reached on Aug 25.
As at Aug 25 morning, one hiker remained missing.
The hiker, Mrs Chenoa Nickerson, 33, was last seen on Aug 22 during the flash flooding. She was swept into Havasu Creek, about half a mile from the confluence of the Colorado River, according to the park service.
Mrs Nickerson, who is from Gilbert, Arizona, may have fallen into the Colorado River. She was not wearing a life jacket.
Mrs Nickerson’s sister, Ms Tamara Morales, said on Facebook on Aug 25 that her sister was still missing. Mrs Nickerson had been hiking with her husband, who was rescued.
“To everyone searching for our sweet sister, we see you, we hear you, we are praying alongside you,” Ms Morales said.
There have been ground and aerial searches for Mrs Nickerson, and a rescue vessel was on the Colorado River searching for her, the park service said.
The flash flood at Havasu Creek occurred shortly before 1.30pm and left several hikers stranded, according to the park service.
Helicopters were used to help people below and above Beaver Falls on the remote Havasupai Reservation, a popular destination for hikers that is known for its turquoise waters nestled among arid canyons.
Arizona National Guard soldiers helping those who were trapped by flash flooding on the Havasupai Indian Reservation, near Grand Canyon National Park, onto a helicopter.
There is a high risk of flash floods there during the monsoon season, which takes place from late June through August.
Some parts of Havasu canyon are off limits to visitors because of continuing repairs from flood damage that occurred in 2018, 2019 and 2022.
The Havasupai Tribal Council said on Facebook on Aug 24 that it was closing the area to tourists indefinitely.
“Officials will be arriving in Supai over the next few days to assess the damage and to begin the process of cleanup and repairs,” the council said. NYTIMES
