Hiker's body found in Grand Canyon after flash floods; over 100 airlifted to safety

The body of a missing Arizona woman was found Sunday after she vanished when flash floods swept through Grand Canyon National Park.

Chenoa Nickerson, 33, was last seen Thursday before a flash flood struck Havasu Canyon, about 30 miles west of Grand Canyon Village, Arizona, according to the National Park Service's press release. She was 100 yards above where the Havasu Creek and the Colorado River meet and was not wearing a life jacket, the release said.

Travelers on a commercial river trip discovered Nickerson's body in the Colorado River three days after she vanished. Park rangers used a helicopter to recover her body. It was taken to the Coconino County Medical Examiner.

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The National Park Service had searched for Nickerson for three days. The park service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner are investigating her death.

Nickerson was with her husband when the floods hit, and the two were separated. Floods also swept away her husband, but local rafters later found him, family members told KPHO-TV.

Nickerson and husband swept away, reports say

The couple, who were visiting the area from Gilbert, a Phoenix suburb, hiked in the Supai Village area within Havasu Canyon on the Havasupai Indian Reservation.

The area is popular among tourists who are attracted to the area's waterfalls and heavenly blue pools.

100 people needed to be rescued

A video from the Arizona National Guard shows 104 tourists and tribal members being evacuated from the Havasupai Falls area, about 5 miles from where Nickerson was last seen.

Evacuees were flown out of the area by a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, according to the video description that was posted.

The flash flood was the first to hit Havasu Creek in 2024, according to Joelle Baird, a park service spokesperson.

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz