The wife of Dr John Giusti has appealed for prayers after the Texas chiropractor’s hiking group was caught up in a flash flood in Arizona’s Grand Canyon.
Giusti, a father of three from Granbury, Texas, was camping in the canyon when floodwaters swept through the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch areas on Saturday, August 29.
His wife, Janet, said the group was among those reported missing or unaccounted for and asked members of the family’s community to pray for her husband’s safety. The National Park Service has not publicly confirmed Giusti’s identity among those it is trying to locate.
The flooding began at about 2.30pm and left one person dead, while approximately 15 people remained missing or unaccounted for, according to the park service. Officials have been working with the Arizona Department of Public Safety to evacuate visitors and establish who was in the affected area.
At least 62 people were evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail. No injuries had been reported in the latest update from the National Park Service.
Nearly all the footbridges over Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, cutting off access along parts of the trail. Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground and the North Kaibab Trail have been closed indefinitely, while debris and damaged metal structures have also led to the closure of the Colorado River to river traffic.
The National Park Service is asking anyone who knows of hikers, backpackers or campers who were in the Bright Angel Creek corridor on August 29 to contact its investigative services branch with information that could help account for those still missing.
