‘This is horrific’: At least 20 U.S. hikers missing as flash flood sweeps through Grand Canyon

🚨 PUBLIC ASSISTANCE REQUESTED

The NPS is asking for information about more than 20 individuals who may be missing or unaccounted for following the Aug. 29 flash flood in Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area.

If you know of hikers/backpackers who were in the Bright… pic.twitter.com/S6S6zHSZ7Q

— Grand Canyon NPS (@GrandCanyonNPS) August 30, 2026

“Grand Canyon National Park staff, in coordination with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, are continuing evacuation and response efforts and working to account for individuals who may have been in the affected area,” the service said.

“The National Park Service is asking anyone who knows of hikers or backpackers who were in the inner canyon along the Bright Angel Creek corridor on August 29, as well as anyone who had a campground reservation in the affected corridor, to provide information to the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch (ISB). This includes individuals who may have been traveling along the North Kaibab Trail from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch, staying at Bright Angel Campground, or traveling or staying in the area known as ‘the Box’ north of Phantom Ranch.

“If you know of anyone who may have been hiking or backpacking in these areas, please contact the NPS Investigative Services Branch Tip Line: 888-653-0009.”

The agency’s email address is nps_isb@nps.gov.

As of Sunday morning, 62 people were evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail, with additional evacuations taking place throughout the day.

“Dramatic footage shows a wall of muddy, chocolate-brown floodwater violently churning down the canyon floor, tearing through trail corridors and sweeping away debris, logs and vegetation,” the New York Post reported.