A body was found in the Colorado River late Sunday morning after a visitor to Grand Canyon National Park was swept away by flash flooding, park officials said.
The National Park Service said in a statement Sunday that Chenoa Nickerson, 33, was from Gilbert, Arizona. She was swept away Thursday along with her husband, who was rescued by raft, Phoenix NBC affiliate KPNX reported.
Her family confirmed the news in a statement to the station on Sunday, saying, “Our hearts are heavy with sadness.”
Nickerson’s body was discovered about 11:30 a.m. near milepost 176 on the Colorado River by people on a boat used for guided tours, according to a National Park Service statement and emailed spokesman.
The park service said she was found in the Havasu Canyon area, about 20 miles from where she was reported missing.
She was swept into Havasu Creek, about a half-mile from its confluence with the river, and park officials feared she would end up in a continental waterway, according to a previous statement.
The flash flooding occurred around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the park service. The area experiences annual late-summer thunderstorms, and the National Weather Service said rain was forecast for this week, possibly as early as Wednesday.
Several hikers in the area became stranded above and below nearby Beaver Falls and were rescued with the help of a helicopter, the park service said.
KPNX reported that 100 people were ultimately rescued.
A statement from the family thanked emergency responders and others who worked to find Nickerson.
“Our family would like to express our sincere gratitude to the National Park Service Search and Rescue team for their tireless efforts, selflessness and heroism,” the statement said.
“We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Chenoa Nickerson,” the Havasupai Tribe said in a statement Sunday.
After the flash flood, the tribe closed nearby Havasupai Falls, a move supported by Gila River Indian Community Gov. Steven Lo Lewis, the community said in a statement.
