Two Die in Grand Canyon Flash Flood, One Person Still Unaccounted A deadly flash flood struck a section of the Grand Canyon on August 31, leaving two fatalities and one person still missing as rescue operations continued. US Park Rangers reported that the number of unaccounted individuals had dropped to one by Monday, though the search for the missing person remained ongoing. Dave Black of the National Park Service confirmed that over a dozen people had been rescued during the weekend, with rangers working to verify the status of all those known to be in the canyon. "There is one person unaccounted for that we know of right now," Black told reporters in Grand Canyon Village, Arizona. The flood, which occurred during the seasonal monsoon period, overwhelmed the area’s arid landscape, where heavy rains quickly saturated the ground and triggered sudden flooding in creeks, gullies, and washes. Rescue efforts were initially complicated by continuous rainfall, which delayed operations and made it difficult to locate missing individuals. Black noted that the weather had significantly hindered recovery efforts, as rain persisted since the incident. "The weather has hurt our efforts. It has not stopped raining since this happened and that has delayed recovery efforts," he said. However, improved weather conditions were expected to aid the search on Tuesday, offering a better chance to locate the missing person and any day hikers who may have been caught in the flood. Day hikers, who do not require permits to enter the canyon, were among those at risk. The National Park Service emphasized the dangers of the region, particularly during the summer months when flash floods are common.#national_park_service #grand_canyon #bright_angle_creek #dave_black #transcanyon_waterline
