SUPAI, Ariz. – Search and rescue crews at Grand Canyon National Park were searching Friday for an Arizona woman who has been missing since she was swept into a creek during a flash flood, while the National Guard has been called in to help evacuate others stranded hiker.
The woman was hiking in Havasu Creek, about half a mile from where it meets the Colorado River, when the flood occurred around 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
She was identified as 33-year-old Chenoa Nickerson of Gilbert, Arizona, the National Park Service said Friday.
She had spent the night at a campsite near the village of Supai on the Havasupai Reservation, deep in a gorge outside the Grand Canyon.
The flooding trapped several hikers in the area above and below Beaver Falls, one of a series of typically blue-green waterfalls that draw tourists from around the world to the Havasupai Tribe’s reservation.
The area is prone to flooding which turns its iconic waterfall chocolate brown.
Other hikers made their way to the village, about 3 km from the campsite, where they waited for a helicopter ride.
Gov. Katie Hobbs activated the Arizona National Guard late Friday, including Blackhawk helicopters, to help evacuate hikers from the village. She said operations may resume Saturday.
The reservation is one of the most remote in the continental United States, accessible only by foot, mule or helicopter.
The tribal council closed the steep, winding trail leading to the reservation after the flood and asked visitors with permits through Sunday not to come.
“We kindly ask for your patience as we ensure the health and safety of tourists and tribal members,” the tribe’s tourism department said on its Facebook page.