National Park Service Grand Canyon discovery: Identification underway for human remains found

Human remains were found near the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park in the vicinity of Crystal Rapid by rangers of the National Park Service, authorities reported Monday.

As stated by the National Park Service, the rangers received information about human remains that were found in the area, and the remains were recovered and transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office of Coconino County in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Crystal Rapid is located 10 miles downstream from Phantom Ranch, which recently experienced flooding resulting in the death of several individuals and missing people.

Timothy Allen Smith is one of those people who became missing after the flood, and his whereabouts are unknown at the moment. Smith was born in Granbury, Texas, but later moved to Star Valley, Wyoming. He is a pilot.

There has only been partial information available from the National Park Service regarding this discovery, but the body has yet to be identified. More information will be provided as the investigation unfolds.

The Colorado River section within the Grand Canyon is well known for having strong rapids as well as rough terrains, making the process of recovering any bodies difficult. The Crystal Rapid area of the canyon is one of the most dangerous areas in the canyon, and water levels tend to change greatly depending on what is released into the river.

The Coconino County Medical Examiner's office will attempt to identify who the person is and how he/she died. This is all of the information that has been released so far.

This is an ongoing investigation. Those who have any information related to this case should contact the National Park Service.