An estimated 104 tribal members and tourists near Havasupai Falls were evacuated after floodwaters on Thursday left them stranded, according to the Arizona National Guard.
On Friday evening, Gov. Katie Hobbs deployed the Guard in response to flooding at the Havasupai reservation near the Grand Canyon, where the waters of Havasu Creek swept away a woman from Gilbert.
Deputy Jon Paxton of Coconino County said the search for Chenoa Nickerson was helmed by the National Park Service and confirmed Sunday that anyone requesting evacuation was taken to safety by Saturday afternoon.
Rescue efforts, coordinated by the Coconino County Sheriff's Office, the National Park Service, and tribal officials, were supported by a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, according to Maj. Erin Hannigan, a spokesperson for the Guard.
Nickerson, 33, went missing about 1:30 p.m. on Thursday during flash flooding approximately half a mile above the Colorado River, according to the National Park Service. Her family, which announced on Sunday via social media that she had been found dead , said she was hiking with her husband when she was taken by the water.
Body found: Gilbert woman swept away in Havasupai flash flood found dead; area indefinitely closed
Hannigan told The Arizona Republic that a crew of about five Guard members, mostly volunteers, assisted in the rescue efforts near Havasupai Falls, which is on the Havasupai tribal reservation.
"There was not what some people might think of dropping lines (from a helicopter) to pull people up. They were in an orderly fashion and ready to get on the aircraft," Hannigan said. "It was all very well organized by the tribe. They made our lives a lot easier."
The Guard also deployed three supply drop-offs consisting of necessities like food and water.
Hannigan said the Guard concluded its side of the operation by about 1:30 p.m. Saturday and had no further orders to support recovery efforts on Sunday.
"When we got there, people were cheering. They were very vocal about sharing excitement to probably get home," Hannigan said.
Hannigan said she was proud of her fellow Guard members who responded to the emergency, including one crew member who interrupted paternity leave to assist in the rescue efforts.
"Arizona is a small and big state, and the entire community is something that we hold dear, and so being ready and willing to support the community as a whole, it's just something that comes with a Guardsman," Hannigan said.
Hike recounts escaping flood: 'I wasn't sure we were going to make it'
Tribal officials: Supai community closed to tourists indefinitely
Damage from flooding spurred the Havasupai Tribal Council to close the community of Supai and its surrounding area to tourists indefinitely because the trail is impassable and the campground has been damaged extensively, according to a Sunday post by the tribe's tourism page on Facebook.
The tribe reopened Havasu Falls and Supai Village to tourists in February 2023 after years of being closed because of COVID-19.
"My heart is with all of the people impacted by the flooding in Havasupai, including Tribal members and visitors to the area," Hobbs said in a statement. "The safety and security of Arizonans and all those who visit our state is always my top concern, and I’ll continue working closely with leaders on the ground to protect the Havasupai community."
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona National Guard rescues over 100 people after Havasupai reservation flooding
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