The body of a 33-year-old Arizona woman swept away by floodwaters was recovered in Grand Canyon National Park on Sunday, three days after flash floods forced the evacuation of more than 100 people from tribal lands near the park.
In a statement, the National Park Service said people found Chenoa Nickerson’s body while on a commercial river trip in the Colorado River about 11:30 a.m. local time Sunday. After park rangers recovered her body, it was taken by helicopter to the rim and brought to the Coconino County Medical Examiner.
The Park Service had searched for Nickerson for days, it said. Nickerson’s sister, Tamara Morales, posted a statement Monday on social media that thanked search-and-rescue workers for their “tireless, selfless, and courageous efforts.”
“Our hearts are heavy with grief,” Morales wrote, adding that “Chenoa’s light will forever be a part of all of us, and we will ensure that her spirit continues to shine brightly. Her memory will never fade, and we will honor her by carrying forward the joy and love she brought into all of our lives.”
Nickerson disappeared Thursday when a flash flood hit Havasu Canyon, a tributary on the south side of the Colorado River where the Havasupai Indian Reservation is located. She last was seen about 100 yards above the confluence of Havasu Creek and the Colorado River, according to the Park Service, which is investigating with the medical examiner’s office.
On Wednesday, the Flagstaff, Arizona, office of the National Weather Service issued a flash-flood watch. Around noon Thursday, it issued a more urgent warning.
“The warning means it’s either occurring already or it’s imminent,” said Megan Taylor, a lead meteorologist with the Weather Service. “That’s the time when people need to get to safety and take action.”
When the flash flood occurred, many visitors were enjoying the waterfalls or trekking from Hualapai Hilltop to Supai Village, an 8-mile hike one-way. The rushing water trapped visitors at different points along the trail as well as at the Havasu Falls and campground areas, according to Abbie Fink, a spokeswoman for the Havasupai tribe. The Havasupai said their tribal homeland, a popular hiking destination that borders Grand Canyon National Park, was devastated by the floods.
“The trail into Supai and to the campground and falls are unpassable, the damage to the campground is extensive,” the tribe wrote on its website Saturday. It said it had closed the land to tourists “until further notice.”
Because of the terrain, the extent of the damage and the large number of people requiring assistance, the tribe asked for reinforcements to help with evacuations. On Friday, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs activated the Arizona National Guard, which sent a Black Hawk helicopter to pick up the stranded hikers and village residents from Friday night into Saturday afternoon, according to Erin Hannigan, an Arizona National Guard spokeswoman.
In all, the 11-seat helicopter ran 10 flights and evacuated 104 people, Hannigan said. Fink said Nickerson’s husband, who was separated from his wife at the junction adjacent to the Colorado River, was among them.
The Havasupai lands affected
Some people found safety during the flooding in Supai, where tribal members provided food, lodging in public buildings and other necessities, Fink said. Other hikers on the trail reached higher ground and spent the night in shelters or caves carved into the Havasu Canyon.
They most probably had provisions only for a day hike, Fink said, and the bulk of their gear was at the campground, which was inaccessible because of the flooding. “They had to sleep outdoors, but the rain had stopped,” she said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will assess the damage, Fink said, and the tribal council then will determine whether it can reopen the area this season, which runs through early December. Fink said cleanup and repairs could take a while.
“It is a logistically hard place. Supplies and manpower have to be helicoptered in,” she said. On Saturday, the tribe said that officials would arrive “over the next few days” to assess the damage and start that work.
The National Park Service describes some parts of the Havasupai land as “a fragile environment” that is subject to flash floods. Its site notes that some areas in Havasu canyon are “OFF-LIMITS” to visitors because of ongoing work to repair damage from floods that took place in 2018, 2019 and 2022. “Immediate closure of the canyon is possible at any given time during your visit,” the Park Service site says. “Visitors to Havasu Canyon assume all risks while in the canyon and should come prepared.”
The village is tough to reach, requiring a strenuous 8-mile hike to the tourist office. It is an additional 2 miles to campgrounds and waterfalls. Visitors must have permits, reservations and stay at least one night. Still, the area is in high demand for its blue-green waters and cascading falls, attracting thousands of visitors a year, according to the Park Service.
“There are many more reservation requests than available campground spaces,” says the Park Service site. “The impact of visitors in the canyon, 2018 flood damage, and the cost of maintaining trails and visitor services has been overwhelming.”
Flash floods in the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon National Park’s hottest months overlap with monsoon season, which runs from June through September in Arizona. The heavy rainfall can trigger flash floods.
“It can happen just about any time of the year,” said Taylor, the National Weather Service meteorologist, “but this is the most common time to see it.”
The Havasupai tribe advises watching “for rain and dark clouds especially in the south” but notes that flash flooding can occur “without warning and without and rain where you are hiking.”
Under a flash-flood watch, Taylor said, people should take precautions and consider changing their itineraries to avoid low-lying areas near streams or rivers as well as slot canyons that can turn into dangerous waterslides. In the event of a storm or a warning, they should immediately seek higher ground.
Most cellphones will automatically get a flash-flood-warning alert, Taylor said, but you can’t always rely on your cell service in the park or the surrounding area. She urges visitors to check the daily and weekly forecast and to bring a weather radio.
If visitors are swept up in a powerful water flow, Sarah Martin, the Rocky Mountain campus director at the National Outdoor Leadership School, recommends following the protective practices of river rafters, kayakers and other boaters who fall out of their watercraft: Lie on your back, with your legs pointed downstream and your arms crossed over your chest. This will help you fend off debris such as loosened rocks and branches.
Most important, Martin said, try to grab an anchored item on shore and pull yourself to safety. The greatest risk in a flash flood is drowning.
