The National Park Service has announced the recovery of the body of Chenoa Nickerson, a 33-year-old woman from Glendale, who was swept away in a flash flood near the Havasupai Reservation in the Grand Canyon.
Nickerson’s body was discovered by a rafting group on the Colorado River at around 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. Park rangers transported her remains to the rim via helicopter, where they were handed over to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s office for further investigation.
Nickerson had been swept into Havasu Creek, approximately half a mile from its confluence with the Colorado River, on August 22, 2024. At the time, she was not wearing a life jacket.
In response to the severe flooding that stranded over a hundred people, Governor Katie Hobbs deployed the Arizona National Guard, including Blackhawk helicopters, to assist with evacuations from Havasupai Village. By Saturday afternoon, all individuals who requested evacuation had been safely relocated.
The Havasupai Tribe has announced that the area will remain closed to tourism indefinitely.
