One person has died, and 15 others are missing or unaccounted for after a flash flood ripped through the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service (NPS) said.
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Following the devastating flood, 62 people have been airlifted out of the area.
"The whole thing was terrifying," said Nikki Baggs, 41, who was among those to be airlifted out of the bottom of the Grand Canyon on Saturday alongside her two friends.
"It was a beautiful day. Then people were screaming, running," she told the BBC.
Flash Flood Sweeps Through Grand Canyon
Rescue teams have been searching the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch retreats for survivors since the torrent struck Saturday evening.
The NPS initially said in a press release it was looking for information about more than 20 people who were thought to be missing or unaccounted for. It later revised that number to "approximately 15".
"The National Park Service is asking anyone who knows of hikers or backpackers who were in the inner canyon along the Bright Angel Creek corridor on August 29, as well as anyone who had a campground reservation in the affected corridor, to provide information to the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch.
"This includes individuals who may have been traveling along the North Kaibab Trail from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch, staying at Bright Angel Campground. Or traveling or staying in the area known as "the Box" north of Phantom Ranch."
Grand Canyon Temporarily Closes Nearby Hotels
Grand Canyon announced it would shut down nearby hotels and add water restrictions due to damage to infrastructure.
"All park concessions will halt overnight accommodations. This includes hotel facilities operated by Xanterra. Such as El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge, and Phantom Ranch. As well as Delaware North's Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village," the buzzing tourist attraction stated.
The NPS also warned that more thunderstorms and heavy rainfall were forecast for Monday. The agency stated that this could cause "additional flash flooding, debris and rockfall."
Park officials shut down Phantom Ranch and the entire length of the North Kaibab Trail earlier Sunday until further notice.
Authorities urged all visitors "not to attempt to access the closed areas."
Each year, roughly 5 million people visit the Grand Canyon. The Bright Angel Trail is its most popular hike.
