Human remains have been recovered in the Grand Canyon during the ongoing search for a hiker who disappeared in deadly flash flooding last month.
The remains were found near Crystal Rapid on the Colorado River on Monday, according to the National Park Service. They have not yet been identified and were transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office for examination.
The discovery comes more than two weeks after catastrophic flash floods tore through the canyon on Aug. 29, killing two men and leaving a third hiker missing. Emergency crews rescued approximately 80 people from the area during the flooding.
The two confirmed victims were identified as John Giusti, 46, a chiropractor, and Brent Rosenkranz, 42, both of Granbury, Texas. Their bodies were recovered in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
The missing hiker is Timothy Allen Smith, 53. Officials have not confirmed whether the remains discovered Monday belong to him. The Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday regarding the identification process.
Crystal Rapid, where the remains were located, sits along the Colorado River corridor in a remote section of the national park. The area is known for its challenging terrain and unpredictable weather patterns that can trigger sudden, dangerous flooding.
The Aug. 29 flash flood caught multiple hiking and river-running groups off guard as water levels surged through narrow canyon passages. The rapid response by emergency crews prevented additional casualties among the roughly 80 people extracted from the flood zone.
Giusti, the 46-year-old chiropractor, ran a practice in Granbury, a city southwest of Fort Worth. His death, along with Rosenkranz’s, has left the tight-knit Texas community mourning two of its own.
The three men — Giusti, 46, Rosenkranz, 42, and Smith, 53 — were together when the flood struck, according to reports from the time. The exact circumstances of how they became separated from other groups in the area remain unclear.
Park officials continue to coordinate recovery and identification efforts with local and state authorities. The National Park Service has not indicated whether additional searches are planned in the area where Monday’s discovery was made.
The Grand Canyon sees millions of visitors annually, but flash floods pose a persistent threat, particularly during the summer monsoon season when thunderstorms can dump heavy rain on the arid landscape with little warning.