Overview
- Park rangers found human remains near Crystal Rapid on the Colorado River and recovered them on Sept. 14, according to National Park Service and multiple news reports.
- The National Park Service transferred the remains to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office in Flagstaff and no identity or cause of death has been released.
- Authorities have been searching for hiker Tim Smith, who was unaccounted for after the Aug. 29 flash flood that killed two other men, and investigators are treating the recovery as part of that active search.
- Search-and-rescue teams used river patrols, helicopters, drones and K-9s in difficult canyon conditions that included debris, unstable terrain and downstream hazards worsened by runoff from a 2025 burn scar.
- The flood also damaged major park infrastructure — preliminary assessments show large losses to the Transcanyon Waterline — prompting stage‑4 water restrictions and a halt to overnight stays on the South Rim while operations and repairs continue.