Search persists for woman swept away by flash flooding in the Grand Canyon
Search and rescue crews at Grand Canyon National Park are looking for an Arizona woman who has been missing since she was swept into a creek during a flash flood, while the National Guard has been called in to help evacuate other hikers
SUPAI, Ariz. -- Search and rescue crews at Grand Canyon National Park were looking Friday for an Arizona woman who has been missing since she was swept into a creek during a flash flood, while the National Guard has been called in to help evacuate other stranded hikers.
The woman was hiking in Havasu Creek, about a half-mile (800 meters) from where it meets up with the Colorado River, when the flash flood struck around 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
She was identified as 33-year-old Chenoa Nickerson of Gilbert, Arizona, the National Park Service said Friday. She had stayed overnight at a campground near the village of Supai on the Havasupai reservation, deep in a gorge off the Grand Canyon.
The flood trapped several hikers in the area above and below Beaver Falls, one of a series of usually blue-green waterfalls that draw tourists from around the world to the Havasupai Tribe's reservation. The area is prone to flooding that turns its iconic waterfalls chocolate brown.
Other hikers made it to the village, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the campground, where they awaited a helicopter ride. Gov. Katie Hobbs activated the Arizona National Guard late Friday, including Blackhawk helicopters, to help evacuate hikers from the village. She said the operations may continue Saturday.
The reservation is one of the most remote in the continental U.S., accessible only by foot, mule or helicopter. The Tribal Council closed the steep, winding trail that leads to the reservation after the flooding and asked visitors with permits through Sunday not to come.
"We kindly ask for your patience as we see to the health and safety of the tourists and the Tribal members," the tribe's tourism department said on its Facebook page.