Woman and husband caught in Grand Canyon flash flood, family says. She’s still missing
_fitted.png "Chenoa Nickerson, of Gilbert, Arizona, was caught in a flash flood Aug. 22 in the Grand Canyon, officials said.")
UPDATE: Chenoa Nickerson’s body was recovered Aug. 25 in the Grand Canyon’s Colorado River, according to the National Park Service.
The original story is below.
A 33-year-old is missing after she was swept away in a flash flood in Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park, rangers said.
A flash flood hit Havasu Creek before 1:30 p.m. Aug. 22, the National Park Service said in a news release. Rescuers responded to several stranded hikers in the area that day near Beaver Falls.
Chenoa Nickerson, of Gilbert, was hiking in the canyon with her husband when the two were caught in the rushing water, her sister Tamara Morales wrote on Facebook.
Her husband was rescued and was able to camp with a raft crew, Morales said.
But his wife, Nickerson, has remained missing as teams spread out to find her.
Nickerson is 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighs about 190 pounds, and has brown hair and blue eyes.
Anyone with information can contact the park service’s tip line at 888-653-0009.
Park officials advise visitors to always check weather conditions before hiking in the canyons, which can become dangerous when it rains.
“A flash flood can travel miles beyond the rainfall that generated it, catching unwary hikers and motorists by surprise,” officials said.
In 2023, more than 4.7 million people visited Grand Canyon National Park, according to the National Park Service.
This story was originally published August 23, 2024 at 1:49 PM.
