The father of three had been missing since a flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon on Aug. 29
Credit: Grand Canyon National Park/Facebook (2)
NEED TO KNOW
- Timothy Allen Smith, 53, was identified after his body was recovered from the Colorado River on Sept. 14
- Smith went missing while on a trip with friends amid an Aug. 29 flash flood in Bright Angel Canyon at the Grand Canyon
- The Coconino County Medical Examiner confirmed Smith’s identity, according to the National Park Service
Timothy Allen Smith, the 53-year-old father of three who went missing during a flash flood at the Grand Canyon last month, has been identified after the National Park Service recovered his body along the Colorado River.
Smith’s body was located on Sept. 14, more than two weeks after he went missing following a flash flood in Bright Angel Canyon on Aug. 29. The Coconino County Medical Examiner confirmed his identity, according to the National Park Service.
Smith disappeared while on a trip with friends John Giusti and Brent Rosenkranz. Giusti and Rosenkranz were found dead two days later, while the search for Smith continued.
Credit: Brent Rosenkranz Facebook; Whipple City Family Chiropractic, PLLC/Facebook
The discovery of Smith’s remains came after weeks of search and recovery efforts in the Grand Canyon. The National Park Service did not provide additional details about the circumstances of his death.
“The National Park Service extends its deepest condolences to the families and friends of Tim Smith, John Giusti and Brent Rosenkranz,” the agency said in a statement to PEOPLE. “We are grateful to the search teams and partner agencies whose personnel worked tirelessly in difficult conditions over the past several weeks on search and recovery efforts.”
Smith’s wife, Carrie Smith, also confirmed his death in a Facebook post.
“My family has done a lot of waiting over the last three weeks…waiting and hoping Tim (Daddy) would come home, waiting and wondering if the remains found were Tim (Daddy). We no longer have to wait, Tim was found two days ago by the Rangers at Grand Canyon National Park,” she wrote. “Not in the way we had hoped, but we know that he was doing something he loved with John and Brent.”
Earlier in the search, Carrie and the couple’s three children appeared in a video posted Sept. 1, thanking the public for their support as well as the National Park Service and other agencies involved in the effort.
“The kids and I wanted to share our hearts this morning as we feel God working through this tragic time,” she said. “We know that he has a plan and purpose even if we don’t. We stand strong in the fact that He has us covered with his love, protection, and grace. Please continue to pray with us as the search and rescue teams look for our ‘Daddy.’ We are praying that he is found today.”
Credit: Ian Maule / AFP via Getty
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Carrie previously asked people to continue praying for her family while the search for Smith was underway. In her latest statement, she again asked for prayers in the months and years ahead.
“We know that these three men loved the Lord and were a shining light for Him. The impact their lives had on others is still being shown to our families daily,” she wrote. “Please do not stop praying for my family, we have lived through an enormous tragedy and will need your prayers for months/years to come.”
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