World
Search Continues for Missing Pilot as Two Friends Confirmed Dead in Grand Canyon Flood
Search and rescue crews are continuing efforts to locate a Grand Canyon hiker who has been missing for more than a week, after two of his companions were found dead following a devastating flash flood.
Timothy Allen Smith, a 53-year-old pilot and father of three, has not been found since he and two friends were caught in the flood that struck the Grand Canyon over the weekend.
Smith's wife, Carrie Smith, provided updates on the search through social media. "The search and rescue teams are working long, hard, hot days to look for him," she wrote on Facebook on Tuesday, Sept. 8. "These last nine days have been the hardest days that my family has endured."
She added that her family was drawing on faith to get through each day, writing, "God is holding us up, giving us strength, giving us hope, giving us peace and loving us well."
According to Carrie, the family had planned to celebrate Smith's birthday on Wednesday, Sept. 9, when he was expected to return from a three-week trip. In a subsequent post that day, she said search teams had positioned heavy equipment to clear large debris at the bottom of the canyon and were preparing to deploy an additional search dog team.
Smith's two friends have since been identified after their bodies were recovered from the canyon. One was John Giusti, a 46-year-old chiropractor from Texas. His employer, Whipple City Family Chiropractic, confirmed his death in a statement, saying, "We are heartbroken to make this update. Dr. John was one of the victims of the Grand Canyon flooding."
The second victim was identified as Brent Rosenkrantz, a 42-year-old martial arts studio owner and father of three, according to the Associated Press, CBS News and NBC News. Hannah Barricks, who is acting as a spokesperson for the families, paid tribute to him, saying, "Not only was Brent a loving husband, father and teacher to them, but he was a hero to my son. I wish I had gotten to tell him that."
The three men had set out on their hiking trip on Friday, Aug. 28, intending to spend two nights exploring the canyon and fishing before continuing on to Havasupai Gardens to finish their trek, CBS News reported.
In a statement shared through a liaison, the families expressed gratitude for the ongoing search efforts and public support, saying, "Our families are profoundly grateful to the search-and-rescue personnel working to bring our loved ones home and to everyone who has prayed for us, reached out, offered help and surrounded our families with love."