Steve Arthur, 58, was on the trip.
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Some in the group of seven hikers were new to climbing and swimming through narrow canyons when fast-moving floodwaters trapped them in a popular sandstone gorge in southern Utah’s Zion National Park.
After three grim days of searching, crews recovered the bodies of all seven canyoneers in the group. The rest of the victims were found earlier this week.
Search crews from multiple agencies have contributed over 760 hours in their search efforts: Washington County Search and Rescue, Kane County Search and Rescue, Sanpete County Search and Rescue, Washington County Deputies, Rocky Mountain canine Unit, Town of Springdale, Rockville-Springdale Fire Protection District, the Color Country Interagency Fire Center, Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Canyon National Park and Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument.
The Keyhole Canyon at Zion in southern Utah where the hikers were killed is what canyoneers call a “rap and swim” canyon, full of a series of drops where hikers rappel down into pools of water, Allen said.
Linda Arthur is pictured here hiking in the snow. “They took their time understanding the risks, understanding the terrain, understanding the weather”, said Rick Denning.
All seven died Monday when a deluge seen only once a century unleashed a wall of churning water.
Park officials have not released the identities of the seven victims, six from California and one from Nevada.
“This will give the whole community, not just the family, a chance to regroup”, he said.
Linda Arthur is pictured in a Facebook photo. It’s considered an entry-level canyon for people who have some experience but are still new to the sport.
Arthur was excited about the trip and boasted about getting the permits for Keyhole Canyon, which only 80 people a day are allowed to visit.
Keyhole Canyon permits were issued that day to two other groups, Purcell said.
“He’d carry a watermelon in his backpack, and he’d usually be the first one up there, and he’d serve everybody”, Sisung said of her son, who worked for the city of Burbank and had three kids.
Don Teichner, 55, of Mesquite, Nevade, was also among the dead.
“Our heartfelt sympathies go out to those affected by the flash flooding in Keyhole Canyon”, said Zion Park Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh in a press release.
Denning said the group even went through a canyoneering course to reinfoce their skills.
Meanwhile, searchers in the town of Hildale south of the park continued Thursday to search for a 6-year-old boy missing after flash flooding that killed 12 members of two families Monday, authorities said.
Raging waters swept two cars downstream, leaving a six-year-old boy still missing.
Mark MacKenzie, 56, of Valencia was an avid hiker who looked out for others, particularly in the outdoors, according to his mother, Deanna MacKenzie Sisung.
The Arthurs’ daughter, Allison, on behalf of herself, her brothers, Justin and Bobby, and others who lost loved ones in Monday’s flood submitted a group photo, included at the top of this report.
Ryan Mertlich’s auto was discovered heavily damaged in a flood plain about 15 miles west of Colorado City.
Muku Reynolds, 59, of Chino, California, had recently become a grandmother and was a passionate hiker.
Rangers closed the park’s canyons after the storm hit, but there was no way to warn those already inside the majestic slot formations, which can quickly fill with rain water and leave people with no escape.
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“He was one of those guys that everybody really liked”.
