Flash flood in Grand Canyon leaves one dead
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Police say one person who went missing from a rafting trip in the Grand Canyon during a flash flood is dead.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press says a second person was found alive.
The flood was part of monsoon storms that have affected Arizona this week, including Flagstaff—as the streets were left with a muddy mess as water mixed with logs and debris swept through.
RELATED STORY: Two missing from Grand Canyon rafting trip
A spokesperson for the Grand Canyon said the flood washed away the camp and left two commercial rafts with 30 passengers off the river.
However, police believed two people had been swept into the river and launched a search by air, ground, and water to find them. Police later found one of the missing people at the camp the group had abandoned to seek shelter.
John Dillon, the executive director of the Grand Canyon River Outfitters Association, said, “Our hearts are broken that people on the trip lost somebody, people at home lost somebody. That matters more than anything else.”
Seven additional passengers who were injured were airlifted out of the canyon. The extend of their injuries is unclear.
Police did not release the name of the rafter who died but say two others have been killed this year from rafting at the Grand Canyon.
“Our message, telling everybody, be patient, especially here in the desert,” he said. “The water comes up quick, but it also goes away quickly.”
Flagstaff and Coconino County declared a state of emergency over the monsoon flooding. The flash flooding will remain through next week, according to the National Weather Service.
