Desperate search launched for missing woman swept away when flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon
A desperate search has been launched after a woman was swept away by a devastating crash at the Grand Canyon.
The National Park Service is searching for Chenoa Nickerson, 33, after she disappeared Thursday when she became trapped in floodwaters near Havasu Creek.
Nickerson and her husband Andrew were hiking in the Havasupai area when the flooding hit. The couple separated.
Family members have since confirmed that her husband was found by local rafters, but she herself has not yet been found.
“My daughter Chenoa Nickerson is still missing. Please pray for her safe return,” her mother wrote on social media.
The National Park Service is searching for Chenoa Nickerson, 33, after she disappeared Thursday when she was caught in floodwaters in Havasu Creek
Nickerson and her husband Andrew were hiking in the Havasupai area, seen here, when flooding hit, separating the couple
Several other hikers were stranded in the area by floodwaters, while Nickerson was swept away. She was not wearing a life jacket.
Nickerson is described as a 5-foot-8, 190-pound woman with brown hair, blue eyes and tattoos.
Anyone with information about Nickerson is urged to contact the NPS ISB Tip Line at (888) 653-0009.
The National Park Service said: “The National Park Service is working closely with the Havasupai Tribe to coordinate these rescue efforts and ensure the safety of all involved.”
The Havasupai Tribe, which allows hikers access to the area where the falls are located, posted on social media that the area will be closed through Sunday.
The tribe says they are still evacuating hikers affected by the flooding.
They said: ‘The Council is actively working to safely evacuate tourists who were in Supai at the time of the flooding.
We kindly ask for your patience as we consider the health and safety of tourists and tribespeople.
According to their website: ‘If you hear approaching flood waters or are caught in a rain storm, immediately move to higher ground and wait until the weather clears.
“Do not enter the narrow part of the gorge. In the event of an unexpected flood, you may not be able to climb over the walls.”
Family members have since confirmed that her husband Andrew, pictured here with Nickerson, was found by local rafters while she remains missing.
The Havasupai Tribe, which allows hikers access to the area where the falls are located, said on social media that the area will be closed through Sunday
On social media, Nickerson’s mother and sister are appealing for more information about her whereabouts.
Her mother wrote in a message: ‘Does anyone have a list of the names of the hikers who are at the SAR after yesterday’s flooding?
Her sister Dena Ramdorsingh, meanwhile, said: ‘Chenoa and her husband Andrew Nickerson were hiking in the Havasupai area on 8/22/24.
‘Andrew contacted his father via satellite phone on 8/22/2024 at 6:16 p.m. and reported that he and Chenoa had been hit by a flash flood and that they had both been washed away, and that Andrew had been rescued.
“He said he is camping in a safe place with a rafting crew who rescued him and that NPS SAR was on the scene last night. Please help us. We are desperate.”