GRAND CANYON, AZ — The National Park Service is asking the public for help identifying about 15 people who may be missing or unaccounted for after a major flash flood hit Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Aug. 29. Park officials said staff are still working to account for everyone who may have been in the affected inner-canyon corridor.
Grand Canyon National Park personnel are coordinating with the Arizona Department of Public Safety as evacuation and response efforts continue. Officials are focused on hikers, backpackers and campground visitors who may have been traveling through the Bright Angel Creek corridor when the flooding occurred.
Where officials want tips
Investigators are asking anyone who saw hikers or backpackers in the inner canyon on Aug. 29 to come forward, especially if they know someone who may have been in the area and has not been heard from since. The request also covers people with campground reservations in the corridor affected by the flooding.
Officials specifically want information about individuals who may have been along the North Kaibab Trail between the North Kaibab Trailhead and Phantom Ranch, staying at Bright Angel Campground, or moving through the area known as “the Box” north of Phantom Ranch. Park officials said even small details can help narrow the search.
How to contact investigators
The National Park Service says tips should be sent to its Investigative Services Branch. The public can call the NPS ISB Tip Line at 888-653-0009 or email investigators through the park service contact listed in the notice.
When sharing information, officials ask for details such as the person’s name, approximate location, travel plans, group size, clothing, backpack description and the last time they were known to be in the area. People do not have to give their own names when submitting a tip.
What the public should know now
The notice does not say how many people have been confirmed safe, and park officials have not released a full accounting of the visitors who were in the flooded area. The emphasis remains on gathering names and locations so responders can compare them against the list of people who may still be missing or unaccounted for.
The flash-flood response is ongoing, and officials say anyone with information about hikers or backpackers in the affected canyon corridor should contact investigators as soon as possible. The request is aimed at quickly closing gaps for people who may have been in remote parts of the park when the flooding hit.
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