Last missing hiker from Grand Canyon flooding identified after three weeks

Three weeks after a wall of water tore through the Grand Canyon's inner canyon, searchers found Timothy Allen Smith's remains near Crystal Rapids on the Colorado River. The 53-year-old pilot from Star Valley, Wyoming, had been the last person unaccounted for since the flash flooding began on August 29. His identification this week closed a search that had consumed the canyon and the families waiting for word—and brought the death toll from the disaster to three.

Smith had come to the canyon with two companions: Brent Rosenkranz, 42, and John Giusti, 46, both from Granbury, Texas. The three men were on a multiday trip that mixed hiking and fishing, planning to spend two nights near the canyon bottom exploring trails and visiting Havasupai Gardens before continuing their hike. They were caught when monsoon rains, part of the summer storm season, fell on a burn area left by a lightning-caused wildfire from July 2025. The fire had stripped the North Rim of vegetation; without trees and brush to absorb the runoff, the rain funneled into a torrent that swept down the canyon with devastating speed.

The flooding hit Phantom Ranch, the only lodging at the canyon bottom, and damaged the pipeline that carries water across the canyon to supply the South Rim—a critical artery serving millions of tourists and residents. During the two-day deluge, search teams deployed night vision equipment and worked through difficult conditions to find people in danger. Park rangers used the permit system and vehicle license plates to track who was still missing. More than 80 people were rescued. Rosenkranz and Giusti were found in the days after the flooding. Smith remained missing, and his wife, Carrie, posted videos and messages on Facebook asking for prayers and support.

On Monday, rangers located Smith's body along the Colorado River. The Coconino County Medical Examiner confirmed his identity on Thursday. That same day, Carrie Smith posted on Facebook that the family had spent three weeks waiting and hoping. "We no longer have to wait," she wrote. "Tim was found two days ago by the Rangers at Grand Canyon National Park. Not in the way we had hoped, but we know that he was doing something he loved with John and Brent." She reflected on the three men's faith and the mark they had left on those around them.

The August 29 flooding exposed the canyon's infrastructure vulnerabilities. The damaged water pipeline forced the closure of all overnight lodging until repairs could be completed. Park officials said recently they expected to restore reliable water service in weeks rather than months, after determining that most of a near-complete pipeline project had survived the deluge. Many hiking trails and lodging areas remain closed. Water has been shut off in the inner canyon, and hikers are now advised to bring their own water or filtration devices.

The danger has not passed. Another flash flood struck the canyon along Bright Angel Creek and the Colorado River during a storm on Wednesday. No injuries were reported this time, partly because park officials had minimized personnel in the canyon before the storm hit. Damage assessments were underway. The National Park Service extended condolences to the families of Smith, Giusti, and Rosenkranz, and acknowledged the search teams and partner agencies whose personnel had worked through difficult conditions over the preceding weeks.