More than 20 people are believed to be missing or missing after flash floods swept through parts of the Grand Canyon. It struck around 2:30 p.m. local time (10:30 p.m. BST) on Saturday in the Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch area, according to the National Park Service (NPS). So far, sixty-two people have been airlifted out of the area, with more expected to follow. No injuries have been reported. “This whole thing was terrifying,” said Nikki Baggs, 41, who was among the people airlifted from the bottom of the Grand Canyon on Saturday along with her two friends. “It was a beautiful day and then people were screaming and running,” he told the BBC. Baggs said she and her friends had just dropped off their belongings at a cabin at Phantom Ranch, a remote lodge at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, when they decided to venture out to enjoy the nice day. Before they knew it, a flood of water swept through the area. As soon as it started to rain, Baggs and his friends headed to higher ground, where they sat at a picnic table, before rangers shouted at them to run again to a different ledge, where they waited with others for hours before being evacuated around 9:30 p.m. local time. Baggs said she and her two friends were looking forward to a steak dinner at Phantom Ranch, but were now grateful to be alive thanks to a quick response from park rangers. “It was a really unique coordinated effort,” he said. “That’s what made us feel safe in an unsafe situation.”
