Human remains found in Grand Canyon during search for hiker who vanished during flash flood weeks ago
Authorities have not said whether those remains were of missing 53-year-old Tim Smith, who officials were still searching for as of Sunday evening.
Video: Bunkhouse swept away in major flood at Grand Canyon
FILE - A sudden, powerful flash flood tore through the Grand Canyon, sending a bunkhouse drifting downstream through muddy, debris-filled floodwaters on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026.
THE TAKEWAY
- Human remains were found in the Grand Canyon on Monday, two weeks after deadly flash flooding.
- Authorities have not said whether those remains were of missing 53-year-old Tim Smith.
- Monsoon storms triggered sudden and intense flash floods in the Bright Angel Creek area on Aug. 29.
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. — Human remains were found near the Crystal Rapid on the Colorado River within the Grand Canyon Monday, the National Park Service (NPS) said.
This comes a little more than two weeks after monsoon storms triggered flash flooding in the Grand Canyon on Aug. 29 that left two people dead.
Crews walk through the damage and debris left behind by flooding.
(Grand Canyon National Park / Facebook)
The NPS said law enforcement rangers responded to a report of the discovery of the remains and transferred them to Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Authorities have not said whether those remains were of missing 53-year-old Tim Smith, who officials were still searching for as of Sunday evening.
11 RESCUED AFTER FLASH FLOODING SWEEPS BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK IN UTAH
The bodies of 46-year-old John Guisti and 42-year-old Brent Rosenkranz, both of Granbury, Texas were recovered several days after the initial floods.
What is left behind after heavy rain and flooding in the Grand Canyon.
(Grand Canyon National Park / Facebook)
Officials said flooding began in the Bright Angel Creek area around 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 29. This is near the 2025 Dragon Bravo Fire burn scar.
82 people were rescued, some by helicopter from the Bright Angel Creek area, and the Phantom Ranch and Cottonwood campgrounds.
Grand Canyon National Park on Monday, Aug. 31, 2026.
(FOX Weather Senior Correspondent Robert Ray / FOX Weather)
The FOX Forecast Center said that while rain totals only reached 1 to 1.75 inches for the hardest-hit areas, that was enough to cause significant issues in part of the park.
Another campground reported one foot of standing water, and several trails were flooded and remain impassible. Gauges along the Colorado River spiked by as much as 9 feet as the rain began to flow through the canyon.
The park has been working to restore campgrounds and other infrastructure destroyed by the flooding.
Check back for updates on this developing story.