The National Park Service says two bodies have been recovered following this weekend’s deadly floods. More than 60 people were airlifted from the area after heavy rain caused water to rush through Bright Angel Creek.
U.S. Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) was rafting in the Grand Canyon with friends Saturday when a dangerous flash flood struck.
“It sounds like a freight train smashing into boulders and then with the canyon walls, this is echoing back and forth. As you got closer it was a stunning amount of water at its peak,” Schweikert said.
Rescue workers on Monday were still searching for more than a dozen people following the flash flood, which killed at least two people. More than 60 people were airlifted from the canyon when the flood struck.
Schweikert’s group was able to hike to safety but he said he saw other groups trapped as several footbridges collapsed.
“Those bridges were gone, so if you were on that side you were trapped. And we could see the helicopters coming in, rescuing people, taking people out of the site,” Schweikert said.
Schweikert said he encourages hikers and rafters in Arizona to take precautions in extreme weather.
“I love the canyon, we have an amazing state,” Schweikert said. “But be smart.”
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The Bright Angel Campground sign remains standing after the Grand Canyon flash flood on Aug. 29, 2026. Multiple footbridges were washed away.
National Park Service / Handout
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Flooded areas in Phantom Ranch during the Grand Canyon flash flood on Aug. 29, 2026.
National Park Service / Handout
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The debris at 4:14 p.m. on Aug. 29, 2026, near a footbridge that was destroyed after a flash flood earlier than afternoon in the Grand Canyon.
National Park Service / Handout
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The Colorado River and Phantom Ranch wastewater treatment plant from the Silver Bridge during the Grand Canyon flash flood on Aug. 29, 2026.
National Park Service / Handout
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Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue Unit (BORSTAR) and Arizona Department of Public Safety personnel assistwith K9 search operations after a flash flood in the Grand Canyon on Aug. 29, 2026.
Arizona Department of Public Safety / Handout
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Fallen trees after the Bright Angel Canyon flash flood in the Grand Canyon on Aug. 29, 2026.
K.Hensel / National Park Service
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Photo taken August 30, 2026, during an aerial reconnaissance flight over Bright Angel Canyon, showing a section of the North Kaibab Trail that was completely washed out by the August 29 flash flood.
K. Brown/National Park Service / Handout
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A significant flash flood occurred in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Aug. 29, 2026.
National Park Service / Handout
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A significant flash flood occurred in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Aug. 29, 2026.
National Park Service / Handout
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A significant flash flood occurred in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area in the Grand Canyon in Arizona on Aug. 29, 2026.
National Park Service / Handout
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A significant flash flood occurred in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area in the Grand Canyon in Arizona on Aug. 29, 2026.
National Park Service / Handout
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A significant flash flood occurred in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area in the Grand Canyon in Arizona on Aug. 29, 2026.
National Park Service / Handout
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Flash flooding in the Grand Canyon National Park on Aug. 29 caused significant damage to the Phantom Ranch area
National Parks Service / Handout
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A storm system moves across the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park on August 29, 2026. The storm produced heavy rainfall that contributed to significant flash flooding in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area.
J. Baird/National Park Service / Handout
More Grand Canyon news
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Grand Canyon National Park staff and partner agencies continue to assess damage from last week’s deadly flash flood. The park is now expanding its temporary closures. -
Those in the Grand Canyon on Aug. 29 knew the risks, but this storm packed an extra punch, washing out key footbridges and doing more damage to infrastructure than previous decades of turbulent water. -
The Aug. 29 flooding damaged the Transcanyon pipeline that supplies water to the national park. As a result, the highest level of water restrictions are now in effect in the park. -
Deadly flooding at the Grand Canyon is damaging the area's economy, with a washed-out pipeline severing the South Rim's water supply and shutting down lodging at the popular tourist vista for an indefinite period. -
Grand Canyon experts say the recent deadly flash floods in Bright Angel Creek were not unusual, but a wildfire burn scar and major manmade infrastructure in the area changed things.
