A woman from Gilbert, Arizona has been reported missing after a flash flood struck the Grand Canyon, triggering a search operation by the National Park Service. Officials are currently looking for 33-year-old Chenoa Nickerson, who was swept into Havasu Creek on Thursday, as confirmed by the Park Service.
Nickerson is described as being 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 190 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. She was not wearing a life jacket when the floodwaters carried her into the creek, approximately half a mile above the confluence with the Colorado River. The flash flood occurred just before 1:30 P.M., leaving multiple hikers stranded. In a statement obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix, “Rescue efforts began promptly, with an initial flight taking off before 3 p.m. to assist individuals stranded both below and above Beaver Falls.”
Further details were shared by Nickerson's brother, Janosh Wolters, during an interview with 12News. Wolters narrated that his sister was alongside her husband at the time of the disaster. "The text message to his dad said that there was a flash flood, they were swept away and that he was rescued by rafters, and that Chenoa was missing," Wolters recounted. "We love her and we won't give up until we find her."
The patient search involves members of the National Park Service and the Havasupai tribe, who are in communication with the family. Anyone with information regarding Nickerson's whereabouts, or any relevant details, can contact the NPS ISB Tip Line at 888-653-0009. "We love her and we won't give up until we find her," her brother, told 12News in a testament to their resolve.
