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‘Holding on Just with My Fingertips’: Women Clung to Grand Canyon Ledge for 5 Hours During Flood
More than 80 hikers were rescued after the flood, while crews recovered two bodies and continued searching for a missing man.
A major flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon on Saturday, killing two people and leaving one unaccounted for. Rescue crews saved more than 80 people over the weekend.
Hikers Katie Brink, Jessica Buscher, and Melanie McGuirk were caught off guard when the flood hit at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The women hunkered down on a ledge, clinging to each other while shielded by a rock.
Near the bridge, Brink spotted three men identified as John Giusti, Brent Rosenkranz, and Timothy Smith. "The last time I looked at them, they were actively crossing the bridge," Brink said; Giusti and Rosenkranz's bodies have been recovered.
Rescue helicopters eventually spotted the three women after separation. "That helicopter looked at us, and 45 minutes later, we see them come up over the hill in front of us," McGuirk said.
Buscher expressed gratitude for the rescuers while reflecting on those who did not survive. "People who were 100 feet behind us do not" get to return home, Buscher said.