Search and rescue crews fanned out into the Grand Canyon's flood-scarred interior looking for one man unaccounted for after a Grand Canyon flash flood on Aug. 29.
Tim Smith was hiking with his longtime friends John Giusti and Brent Rosenkranz when rain and flooding hit Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area.
The National Park Service confirmed in a news release that Giusti and Rosenkranz were the two men whose bodies had been recovered. The Park Service did not confirm if Smith was the missing person.
Searchers combed debris-flow areas, "The Box" north of Phantom Ranch and stretches of the Colorado River more than three days after the floodwaters hit.
Grand Canyon National Park was working with the Coconino County Search and Rescue Team
and Border Patrol, a Facebook update said. River patrols also continued downstream of Phantom Ranch as crews searched for Smith.
Grand Canyon National Park remained open as the search continued. Lodging in nearby Tusayan was also still open.
Park Service officials were assessing damage in Bright Angel Canyon, where the flood washed out at least one section of the North Kaibab Trail, according to the Park Service.
Brian Drapeaux, deputy superintendent for the park, said that rain on the North Rim caused flooding, which triggered a gauge system in Bright Angel Creek to alert park officials to rising water levels. The system went offline as the water picked up speed, at which point the park began evacuations.
Phantom Ranch is an area at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. "The Box" is a narrow section of trail north of Phantom Ranch with tight Canyon walls.
Officials noted extensive damage to the park's Transcanyon Waterline. Drapeaux said miles of the pipeline may have been destroyed.
2 friends killed, 1 missing after hiking trip
Texas residents Giusti, 46, and Rosenkranz, 42, were on a trip together with friend Smith, 53, according to spokesperson Hannah Barricks, who sent out a statement on behalf of all three families.
All three men were from Granbury, Texas, a city southwest of Fort Worth. Rosenkranz, a martial arts instructor, and Giusti, a chiropractor, lived there, while Smith had moved to Star Valley Ranch, Wyoming, a town of a little over 2,000 people, according to Barricks.
Officials said the unaccounted-for number only covered people entered in the park's permit system.
Because day hikers can enter the Canyon without a permit, it's unknown whether any of them were missing.
Officials asked anyone with information about those who may have been hiking from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground and "The Box" area north of Phantom Ranch to call the tip line at 888-653-0009.
Have a news tip? Contact The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com at newstips@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Grand Canyon search for hiker continues as park officials assess damage
