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Body of missing woman Chenoa Nickerson found after Colorado River flash flood in Grand Canyon National Park


Body of missing woman Chenoa Nickerson found after Colorado River flash flood in Grand Canyon National Park

SUPAI, Arizona – The body of an Arizona woman who disappeared days earlier after a flash flood in Grand Canyon National Park was recovered Sunday, park rangers said.

The body of Chenoa Nickerson, 33, of Gilbert, a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, was discovered around 11:30 a.m. Sunday by a group rafting on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, the park said in a statement.

Rangers recovered Nickerson’s body, which was transported by helicopter to the rim and taken to the Coconino County Coroner’s Office.

National Park Service officials said Nickerson was swept into Havasu Creek above the mouth of the Colorado River at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday. She was not wearing a life jacket.

Nickerson had just hiked along Havasu Creek, about a half mile from the mouth of the Colorado River, when the flash flood struck.

Chenoa Nickerson

This photo shows Chenoa Nickerson of Gilbert, Arizona, who went missing in Grand Canyon National Park after she was swept into a creek during a flash flood.

Tamara Morales via AP

Nickerson’s husband was among more than 100 people who were safely evacuated.

The flood has trapped several hikers in the area above and below Beaver Falls, one of several normally blue-green waterfalls that attract tourists from around the world to the Havasupai Tribe’s reservation. The area is prone to flooding, which turns the famous falls chocolate brown.

Other hikers reached the village about three kilometers from the campsite, where they waited for their helicopter flight.

Governor Katie Hobbs activated the Arizona National Guard, including Blackhawk helicopters, to help evacuate hikers from the village.

National Guard officials said about 104 tribal members and tourists have been evacuated near Havasupai Falls since Thursday after being stranded there by flooding.

The Havasupai Tribe reservation is one of the most remote in the continental United States and is only accessible on foot, by mule or by helicopter.

Helicopter evacuations began after bridges were washed away and rescue workers fanned out amid a series of massive waterfalls.

The coroner and park service are investigating her death.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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