Body recovered from Colorado River after flash flooding in Grand Canyon

Park rangers recovered human remains from the Colorado River on Monday, weeks after flash flooding struck Grand Canyon National Park. A National Park Service spokesperson told the Las Vegas Review‑Journ­al that the remains were found at Crystal Rapid, roughly 160 miles east of Las Vegas, and were transferred to the Coconino County medical examiner’s office. Officials said it was not immediately clear whether the remains are linked to the ongoing search for Timothy Smith, the sole hiker still unaccounted for after the Aug. 29 flash flood washed out trails and campgrounds and prompted the evacuation of more than 80 people. Smith’s companions, John Giusti, 46, and Brent Rosenkranz, 42, were killed in the flood; their bodies were recovered shortly afterward. All three men hailed from Granbury, Texas, about 70 miles southwest of Dallas, although Smith had recently relocated to Wyoming. On Tuesday, Smith’s wife, Carrie Smith, posted on Facebook asking for prayers. She wrote, “We inquire that you proceed to commune alongside us,” she wrote. “God is bully and loves america unconditionally done each measurement of life.” The flood also severely damaged the Transcanyon Waterline, which supplies water to millions of visitors to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim and to approximately 1,600 residents of Grand Canyon Village. Officials said last week that the park avoided the worst‑possible outcome and that the water system could be restored within weeks.