Hiker still missing after flash flood at Grand Canyon despite intrepid search

Grand Canyon National Park search and rescue teams were searching for an Arizona woman nearly two days after she was swept into a creek during flash flooding, the woman's sister said on social media Saturday.

Chenoa Nickerson of Gilbert, Arizona, was hiking in Havasu Creek, about a half-mile from where it meets the Colorado River, when the flash flood hit early Thursday afternoon.

The National Park Service said the 33-year-old man spent the night at a campsite near the village of Supai on the Havasupai reservation, deep in a gorge off the Grand Canyon.

The flooding trapped several hikers in the area above and below Beaver Falls, one of a series of typically blue-green waterfalls that draw tourists from around the world to the Havasupai Tribe reservation. The area is prone to flooding that turns its iconic waterfalls chocolate brown.

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Other hikers reached the village, about 2 miles from the campsite, where they awaited a helicopter flight. Gov. Katie Hobbs mobilized the Arizona National Guard, including Blackhawk helicopters, to help evacuate hikers from the village.

Tamara Morales, the missing hiker's sister, highlighted the National Guard's deployment and praised National Park Service rescue teams for “navigating incredibly dangerous terrain with extremely limited communication methods while leaving no stone unturned.”

“We are deeply grateful and fully recognize that you are currently defying the impossible,” Morales said on Facebook. She did not respond directly to direct messages.

The Havasupai Tribe’s reservation is one of the most isolated in the continental United States, accessible only by foot, mule or helicopter. The tribal council closed the steep, winding trail to the reservation after the flooding and asked visitors with permits through Sunday not to come.

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“We ask for your patience as we work to ensure the health and safety of tourists and tribal members,” the tribe’s tourism department said on its Facebook page.

Morales posted a photo of his sister smiling at the foot of a steep desert river canyon, wearing the sportswear she was wearing when she disappeared, with what appeared to be an electronic wristwatch or fitness device on her wrist.