Body of last Grand Canyon hiker missing in deadly flooding found, wife says: “We no longer have to wait”

Updated on: September 17, 2026 / 12:33 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Human remains found in the Grand Canyon this week were those of the last remaining person missing after deadly flash flooding in late August, the victim's wife said Thursday.

The discovery of Timothy Allen Smith brought the death toll to three from flooding that devastated the Phantom Ranch area at the canyon bottom and damaged the water pipeline serving the South Rim.

Smith, 53, was a pilot from western Wyoming's Star Valley. His remains were found Monday near Crystal Rapids on the Colorado River that runs through the canyon.

The remains of Smith's two backcountry companions, Brent Rosenkranz, 42, and John Giusti, 46, both of Granbury, Texas, were found earlier.

Smith grew up in Granbury and lived with his wife in Star Valley Ranch, about 40 miles southwest of Jackson.

He, Rosenkranz and Giusti were on a multiday hiking, fishing and camping trip when flooding swept through the Grand Canyon. Their plan was to spend two nights exploring trails near the bottom of the canyon and go fishing before moving on to Havasupai Gardens, which the park says is a "frequent stop for hikers and mule trains traveling up…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/moneywatch/