JACKSON, WY — The last person missing after deadly flash flooding in the Grand Canyon has been identified as Timothy Allen Smith, a Wyoming man whose remains were found last week. The confirmation closes the search for everyone who had been unaccounted for after the flood that struck last month.
Smith was a pilot from Star Valley, according to the Associated Press. His wife, Carrie Smith, confirmed his death.
He had been on a multi-day hiking, fishing and camping trip with two friends when floodwaters swept through the canyon. The remains of those two friends were found earlier.
Wife confirms the death of Star Valley pilot Timothy Allen Smith
Carrie Smith said on Facebook that her husband had been doing something he loved when he died with friends. Her post described the trip as one he shared with people who mattered deeply to him.
She also wrote that the impact of their lives on others is still being felt by their families every day. Her message came as the family absorbed the confirmation that Timothy Allen Smith was the final missing victim from the flooding.
Smith’s identification was reported by the Associated Press, which said his remains were found last week.
Deadly flood swept through a multi-day trip in the Grand Canyon
The flooding turned what had been a planned outdoor trip into a deadly emergency. Smith and his two friends were hiking, fishing and camping when the water rose through the Grand Canyon area.
The trip lasted multiple days, showing how quickly changing conditions can upend a backcountry outing. The three men were among those caught in the flash floods that caused fatalities in the canyon last month.
The two friends traveling with Smith were found before him, leaving his identity as the final unresolved piece in the search effort.
Search efforts ended when the last set of remains was found
Authorities had been looking for the last missing victim since the flooding. When the remains were recovered last week, the search for the final person linked to the deadly event moved toward closure.
With Smith now identified, the deaths connected to the flood include all three men from the hiking and camping trip. The earlier recovery of the two friends’ remains had already confirmed the scope of the tragedy for their families.
For relatives, the identification marked both an ending and a painful confirmation after weeks of uncertainty.
Star Valley remembers a pilot who was on a trip he loved
Smith lived in Star Valley and worked as a pilot, according to the AP. Those details have become part of how his family and community are remembering him after the flood.
Carrie Smith’s Facebook post pointed to the personal side of the loss, describing her husband as someone who was sharing time outdoors with friends. That image has stood alongside the official confirmation of his death.
The family’s public comments also reflected the broader effect of the flooding, which stretched beyond the immediate search and recovery effort into the lives of those who knew the three men.
Grand Canyon flooding left families waiting for answers
The recovery and identification of Smith bring the story of the Grand Canyon flood into a more complete and final form, but they do not lessen the loss felt by the families involved. The storm and flooding ended a trip that had begun as a recreational outing.
Because the men were traveling together, each recovery carried meaning for the others’ relatives as well. The identification of Smith completed the account of what happened to the group after the flood swept through the canyon.
For his wife and the two other families, the findings now confirm what they had feared since the flooding began.
