Timothy Smith, 53, remained unaccounted for after late-August flash floods
National Park Service personnel recovered human remains near Arizona’s Crystal Rapids, more than two weeks after flash floods tore through the Grand Canyon and killed two people, the agency confirmed over email.
The remains were transferred to the Coconino County medical examiner’s office, the NPS said in an email. The agency did not identify the individual and said no further information would be available at this time.
The late-August floods were triggered by heavy rains that sent a deluge of flood water barreling through Grand Canyon National Park. The bodies of a Texas chiropractor and a martial artist were previously recovered, according to the Associated Press. A third hiker, 53-year-old Wyoming pilot Timothy Smith, remained unaccounted for as of Tuesday.
A Facebook account appearing to belong to Smith’s wife, Carrie Smith, acknowledged the discovery of human remains in a Tuesday post. “We ask that you continue to pray alongside us! Please be considerate of those handling the situation and those going through this difficult time,” she wrote.
In earlier Facebook posts, Carrie Smith described her husband as an outdoors aficionado. “Tim loves to show us somewhere new and take us back to the places we love,” she wrote. “We know the search teams are working hard to bring Tim home to us.”
The NPS did not identify the remains or specify which of the three individuals they belonged to.