“WE NO LONGER HAVE TO WAIT” — FATHER OF THREE TIMOTHY ALLEN SMITH IDENTIFIED WEEKS AFTER GRAND CANYON FLASH FLOOD

After nearly three weeks of uncertainty, a Wyoming family finally has an answer.

Timothy Allen Smith, a 53-year-old father of three, has been identified after his remains were recovered from the Colorado River at Grand Canyon National Park.

Smith had been missing since Aug. 29, when a powerful flash flood swept through Bright Angel Canyon during a trip with two friends.

According to the National Park Service, Smith’s remains were recovered on Sept. 14 near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River. The Coconino County Medical Examiner later confirmed his identity.

THE TRIP THAT TURNED TRAGIC

Smith had traveled to the Grand Canyon with his friends John Giusti, 46, and Brent Rosenkranz, 42, for a multiday outdoor trip involving hiking, fishing and camping.

The men had planned to visit Bright Angel Campground and explore trails around the canyon before continuing toward Havasupai Gardens.

But on Aug. 29, intense monsoonal rainfall sent a sudden surge of water through Bright Angel Canyon.

The flooding destroyed or damaged bridges, campgrounds and other infrastructure, leaving dozens of people stranded.

More than 80 people were ultimately rescued, many by helicopter.

TWO FRIENDS WERE FOUND FIRST

Search teams recovered Giusti and Rosenkranz in the days following the disaster.

Giusti, a Texas chiropractor and father of three daughters, was remembered by his family as a devoted husband and father.

Rosenkranz, also from Granbury, Texas, was a father of three sons and a longtime martial arts instructor.

For weeks, Smith remained the only member of the group who had not been located.

The search continued through difficult terrain and dangerous conditions as rescuers worked through the canyon and along the Colorado River.

“WE NO LONGER HAVE TO WAIT”

Smith’s wife, Carrie Smith, and their three children had spent weeks waiting for news.

In a Facebook post confirming his identification, Carrie described the painful uncertainty her family had endured.

She said they had been “waiting and hoping” that Tim would come home and waiting to learn whether the remains recovered in the canyon belonged to him.

Now, she said, “We no longer have to wait.”

Carrie also said that, although the family had hoped for a different outcome, they found comfort in knowing Tim had been doing something he loved with his friends.

She asked people to continue praying for the family in the months and years ahead.

A FATHER REMEMBERED

Smith was a pilot from western Wyoming’s Star Valley and had grown up in Granbury, Texas.

His family has remembered the three men not simply for how they died, but for the lives they shared with their families, friends and communities.

The National Park Service extended its condolences to the families of Smith, Giusti and Rosenkranz and thanked the search teams and partner agencies that spent weeks working in difficult conditions.

With Smith’s identification, the confirmed death toll from the Aug. 29 Grand Canyon flash flooding stands at three.

The tragedy has left three families grieving — and a community remembering three men who set out together for an adventure in one of America’s most spectacular landscapes, never knowing their journey would end in tragedy.