Grand Canyon Flood Victims Seen in Hiking Photos Days Before

The two people whose remains were recovered following the Grand Canyon flash flooding had been photographed during the same trip before the outing turned deadly.

Relatives identified the victims as John Giusti, 46, a chiropractor from Texas, and Brent Rosenkranz, 42, a martial artist, family liaison Hannah Barricks told The Associated Press. Barricks said a third friend, 53-year-old Timothy Smith, also joined the trip and was still missing as of late Monday.

The three men were all connected to Granbury, Texas, and their families said the friends had set out for “several days of hiking, camping, fishing and exploring together,” according to the AP. In a joint statement released Monday through Barricks, the families said the men last spoke with loved ones on Thursday and had located their campsite Friday at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

The destructive flood struck Saturday, Aug. 29, along Bright Angel Creek, a waterway that feeds into the Colorado River near Phantom Ranch. The popular Grand Canyon destination includes historic dormitories, a canteen and a campground frequently used by river rafters and hikers traveling rim to rim.

Incident Cmdr. Dave Black said rescue teams relied on night-vision technology and other specialized equipment to locate people in need of help as floodwaters surged through the area. By Saturday evening, 45 people had been rescued, with another 37 evacuated on Sunday.

Park rangers used the Grand Canyon permit system and checked vehicle license plates as they worked to determine how many people remained missing.

“As of right now, they have no reason to believe, from the tips we’ve been through so far, that there’s anybody besides the one” missing person, Black said during a news conference Monday evening.

Hiker Daniel Evans told the AP that it rained several times before the worst 30-minute downpour Saturday afternoon. He had been planning to rest through the hot day and spend the night near the hard-hit Bright Angel Campground area.

Earlier, rangers told him it looked to be safe. Then, as the rain poured, they told him it was time to go. He said he thought of Nepal and the massive floods and landslides that poured down mountain valleys last week.

“The entire time it was raining — the entire time I’m going through all this and packing — I’m just keeping my eyes upstream, just praying that a wall of water isn’t coming toward us,” Evans said.

Janet Giusti, the wife of John Giusti, wrote on a fundraising page that “John was living out a lifetime dream exploring the majesty of the Grand Canyon when tragedy struck.”

“Beyond his practice, he was a man of electric energy and boundless passion — an avid runner, an enthusiast of fast cars, and a massive fan of comic books and legendary heroes,” she added. “Yet out of all the titles he carried, his absolute favorite was being a devoted father to his three beautiful girls.”

Rosenkranz had posted selfies from the Grand Canyon before the flooding, tagging Giusti and sharing his excitement about the grueling adventure ahead.

“Just arrived at the Grand Canyon. Will be hiking over 31 miles next four days with vertical change of over a mile,” Rosenkranz wrote. “Carrying a 40 lb backpack. This should be an adventure!”

Tina Newberry, whose daughter co-owns the ATA Glen Rose martial arts location, said Giusti had been exploring the canyon with fellow “ATA fathers” Rosenkranz and Smith when disaster struck.