COCONINO COUNTY, Ariz. — The Arizona National Guard was able to help rescue more than 100 people after severe flooding destroyed parts of Havasupai Creek.
Rescue teams in the Grand Canyon National Park continue searching for a Gilbert woman who was swept away in a powerful flash flood Thursday while hiking in Havasu Canyon.
Chenoa Nickerson and her husband were half a mile above the Colorado River confluence when they were swept away by the fast-moving flood waters, according to the National Park Service. Nickerson's husband was rescued by a group of rafters but was unable to find his 33-year-old wife.
"We love her and we won't give up until we find her," Nickerson's brother Janosh Wolters told 12News.
On Saturday, the Grand Canyon National Park said they are still searching for Nickerson.
She is described as 5'8", 190 lbs. with brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a black tank top, black shorts and blue hiking boots.
If you have seen her, you are asked to call the NPS ISB Tip Line at (888) 653-0009.
Maj Erin Hannigan, communications director for the Arizona National Guard, said the evacuations started on Friday evening after the Governor called on them to help and continued until Saturday afternoon at 1:30pm.
Hannigan said tourists who were evacuated were taken to a landing zone near their vehicle allowing them to reunite with their cars and return home.
"They cheered after the safety brief," Hannigan said. "They cheered when they got into the aircraft, and then they cheered when they got out."
Hannigan said one of the crew chiefs was on paternity leave when he got the call for rescue efforts.
"He didn't skip a beat," Hannigan said. "He showed up and got on the aircraft to support the mission."
On Saturday, crews searched the areas near Beaver Falls, the confluence of Havasu Creek and the Colorado River and the Colorado River by air, by ground and on the water for signs of Nickerson, but were not able to find her.
As of Saturday night, 104 people had been rescued from Havasupai Falls from Friday evening through Saturday afternoon, according to the Arizona National Guard.
Abbie Fink, spokesperson for the Havasupai Tribe, said the flooding caused extensive damage to the trail leading into Supai and much of the village including common and public areas.
"The campground suffered considerable damage. That's where the vast majority of the water flow was," Fink explained. "So it's unsafe to be in there right now and travel."
Fink said tribal members are still in Supai and are "safe either in their homes or in other buildings in the village."
"Our tribal members have been accounted for, and now we are focusing on getting supplies into Supai for those that are still living there," Fink said. "[We are] working with emergency systems across the state and federal to begin the assessment on The repair of all the damage that's been done."
Fink said the damages would still need to be evaluated moving forward.
"We have to ensure the safety of all of the, you know, the infrastructure, for the trails, for the buildings, everything that needs to be evaluated," Fink said. "That's going to take some time, and we want to make sure we take the right amount of time to make sure that we do it correctly."
On Friday, 12News spoke with a camper who was stranded at the falls.
Latricia Mimbs was visiting Havasu Canyon from Mississippi. Her group heard thunder Thursday afternoon as they set up tents near the Havasupai campground, which Havasu Creek runs through.
"I have a friend who is a ranger and he warned us that it is Monsoon season, if we heard thunder to head to high ground,” Mimbs said. “We actually left the campsite, made it to the hilltop before the flood hit.”
The turquoise waterfalls people come to see quickly turned brown. The flash flood swept through the campground and Mimbs lost her tent and clothes, but not her life.
"I'm really proud of them for not panicking," Mimbs said. "We all got out safely."
Many hikers and campers had been unable to leave the area. Mimbs said portions of the 10-mile trail connecting the campground and the trailhead are now impassible. People were told it will take a helicopter to get them out.
The Havasupai tribe is providing stranded campers with food and water.
"There are 200 of us waiting to fly out," Mimbs said Friday afternoon. "Five at a time."
It is her fourth time to Havasu Canyon — only this time she saw firsthand how quickly this paradise can turn into a nightmare. Mimbs remains hopeful that Nickerson will be found safe.
"We're praying for them," Mimbs said.
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