Family of Woman Swept Away in Flash Flood Honors Her Memory
On August 22, 2024, her 33rd birthday, Chenoa Nickerson was swept away in a flash flood while hiking in the Havasupai region of the Grand Canyon. She was found deceased 3 days later. Chenoa's family is endlessly grateful for the Search and Rescue (SAR) efforts that brought Chenoa home to them. It is their goal to pay it forward and raise awareness and funds for SAR in her memory.
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — Family members of Chenoa Nickerson, the Arizona woman who was tragically killed last month during a flash flood in the Grand Canyon, are inviting the public to honor her memory by donating to Grand Canyon National Park’s Search and Rescue Program.
Nickerson was hiking with her husband near the confluence of Havasu Creek and the Colorado River on Aug. 22–her 33rd birthday—when a flash flood swept her away. Rescue teams searched three days before her body was found by a group of Colorado River rafters, 19 miles downstream from the confluence.
Nickerson’s siblings—Tamara Morales, Kyra Farkas and Janosh Wolters—have created a memorial fund through Grand Canyon Conservancy in their sister’s name to support Grand Canyon Search and Rescue (SAR).
In a joint statement the siblings said, “These brave men and women utilized every resource to find our sweet sister by navigating dangerous terrain with extremely limited methods of communication while leaving no stone unturned. We are profoundly grateful for them and fully acknowledge that they defied the impossible to bring our family the gift of closure.”
Grand Canyon SAR is among the busiest search-and-rescue programs in the entire national parks system, responding to more than 300 incidents per year. The Grand Canyon SAR team conducts rescue operations across a million miles of rugged terrain, from high-desert cliffs to the rushing waters of the Colorado River.
Donations to the Chenoa Nickerson Memorial Fund will help the Grand Canyon SAR program do the following:
- Purchase equipment such as underwater-breathing apparatuses and pack rafts for swift- water rescue.
- Fund training for rappelling, swift-water rescue and SAR logistics.
- Fund supportive programs for first responders and their families.
Grand Canyon Conservancy also funds the Preventive Search and Rescue (PSAR) program, making contact with thousands of park visitors in an effort to prevent emergencies before they happen. PSAR rangers are highly trained volunteers who assess and aid visitors on the trail, often giving them water and salty snacks, to make sure they get out of the canyon safely.