Canyon

One person has died and 15 remain missing or unaccounted for after flash flooding swept through parts of the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service (NPS) has said.

The flood hit Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Saturday afternoon, wiping out footbridges and propelling boulders downstream.

The body of a 46-year-old man was found on Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River, the park service told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner. Sixty-two people have so far been airlifted out of the area.

“The whole thing was terrifying,” said Nikki Baggs, 41, who was among those to be airlifted out of the bottom of the Grand Canyon with her two friends.

“It was a beautiful day and then people were screaming, running,” she told the BBC.

Baggs said she and her friends had just dropped off their belongings at a cabin in Phantom Ranch – a remote lodge at the bottom of the Grand Canyon – when they decided to venture out to enjoy the nice day. Before they knew it, a flood of water was sweeping through the area.

As soon as the rain hit, Baggs and her friends headed toward higher ground, where they sat at a picnic table, before rangers yelled to them to run again to a different ledge, where they waited with others for hours before they were evacuated at around 21:30 local time (04:30 GMT).

Baggs said she and her two friends had been looking forward to a steak dinner at Phantom Ranch – but were now just grateful to be alive thanks to a swift response from park rangers.

“It was a really uniquely co-ordinated effort,” she said. “That’s what made us feel safe about all of it in an unsafe situation.”

Baggs said she and her friends watched from higher ground as bridges were swept away.

Aug. 30 (UPI) — More than 20 people are missing after “significant” flash flooding struck areas around the Grand Canyon, officials said Sunday.

The National Park Service asked for those who know of hikers or backpackers who were in the Grand Canyon National Park areas of Bright Angel Canyon and Phantom Ranch when the flooding hit to contact park officials.

“Grand Canyon National Park staff, in coordination with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, are continuing evacuation and response efforts and working to account for individuals who may have been in the affected area,” NPS said in a statement.

The NPS said it is also searching for anyone who may have been on the North Kaibab Trail from the North Kaibab Trailhead to Phantom Ranch, staying at Bright Angel Campground, or traveling or staying in the area known as “the Box” north of Phantom Ranch.

Officials said at least 62 people had been evacuated after significant damage was caused by the flooding.

Phantom Ranch, Bright Angel Campground, Phantom Ranch Canteen, the North Kaibab Trail, the Black and Silver bridges and traffic to the Colorado River in the area are closed “until further notice,” officials said.

A reopening date has not been announced.

Officials warned thunderstorms and heavy rainfall were possible Sunday and Monday that could “result in additional flash flooding, debris flows, rockfall and rapidly changing trail and river conditions.”

People were encouraged to stay away from the closed areas.

Grand Canyon National Park is the country’s fourth-most visited national park, with 4.4 million visits last year.

Palos Verdes and Sierra Canyon came away with football victories against teams from Florida on Thursday.

Standout junior safety Jalen Flowers came up with two interceptions, including a one-handed highlight play, to help Palos Verdes hold on for a 21-18 win over Orlando (Fla.) Bishop Moore in an afternoon game at Palos Verdes.

Linebacker Weston Reis also came through for 2-0 Palos Verdes, which travels to Carson next Thursday in another challenging nonleague game.

Sierra Canyon traveled to Florida, lost four fumbles in the first half but came back to defeat Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna 24-7.

Myles Baker had one touchdown pass and one touchdown run as the Trailblazers (2-0) broke open a game that was tied 7-7 at halftime. Jaxsen Stokes’ running, and strong defense from sophomore linebacker Eli Zamorano also helped the Trailblazers. Carter Sobel had a 31-yard field goal in the third quarter to give Sierra Canyon the lead for good.

Mater Dei and Sierra Canyon have been the two best high school girls’ volleyball teams in the Southland the last several years and the likelihood is high that they will meet in the Southern Section Division 1 finals for a third consecutive season.

Mater Dei won the state Open Division championship in November, led by four seniors now suiting up for NCAA Division I programs — setter Sam Capinpin at Cal State Bakersfield, libero Lizzy Robinson at Oregon and middle blocker Addison Coady and outside hitter Layli Ostovar (the 2025 Gatorade California player of the year) at USC.

The Monarchs won the Queen’s Court Invitational (the last preseason warmup tournament) in Irvine at the start of the month and boast one of their deepest rosters in coach Dan O’Dell’s 14 seasons thanks to five elite transfers: senior opposite hitter Katherine Nowak from JSerra; junior outside hitter/defensive specialist Sienna Cicero from Orange Lutheran; junior middle blocker Reagan Williams from Sunny Hills; junior outside hitter Janiah Burrage from Rancho Christian and senior middle hitter (and Long Beach State commit) Saaliyah Brown from Etiwanda, all of whom are eager to contribute once the mandatory sit-out period ends Sept. 13.

Sierra Canyon senior Kendall Omoruyi, right, is one of the top middle blockers in the country.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

In a matchup of reigning state champions, Mater Dei prevailed in five sets over Harvard-Westlake in its Aug. 11 season opener, and it was no surprise that UCLA-bound senior hitter Westley Matavao made her presence felt with 16 kills, 19 digs and six aces. California commit Emma Kingston added 13 kills and three blocks as setting duties were shared by senior Kalea Lee (24 assists) and junior Riley Stringer (20 assists).

“It’s great to start out playing a team that’s just as competitive as us — it’s good prep for what we can expect all season,” said Matavao, who recorded 405 kills, 177 digs, 37 aces and 32 blocks a year ago. “This teaches us to not be laid back, to keep our foot on the gas. I think we’re better than last season because we have more versatility.”

Making an immediate influence was freshman Jimin Seung, who ended the first point of the season with a kill and finished with 10. On a team with 11 seniors, Seung is fitting right in with a fearless attitude and competitive drive.

“It was nerve-racking, but knowing our team is one, the nervousness turns to confidence,” Seung said. “I came to Mater Dei because it’s the place that felt most like home and I wanted to grow in my religion. I’ve only known Westley a few weeks and she’s already like a big sister to me. She’s a senior and I’m a freshman, but we have a lot in common because we play the same position.”

Mater Dei coach Dan O’Dell guided the Monarchs to the CIF State Open Division championship in 2025.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Though Mater Dei has superior depth, Sierra Canyon has a more experienced starting lineup — a nucleus of All-Americans consisting of Missouri-bound setter Lucky Fasavalu, Nebraska-bound middle Kendall Omoruyi and a trio of outside hitters in Eva Jeffries (Tennessee), Hanna McGinest (Texas Tech) and McKenna McIntosh (USC).

Filling the last rotation spot will be Isabella Torres-Wallace from ICL Academy; fellow sophomore middle Cassie Smith and junior Raneighla Gonzalez, who transferred from Heritage Christian last year but got hurt and played in only two sets. The top back row options for coach Stefanie Wigfall, who will likely pass the 400-win mark this season, are senior Olive Shum and Mira Costa transfer Blake Gurney.

Sierra Canyon, which beat Mater Dei to win its second section title in four years last fall, finished fifth at Queen’s Court without Fasavalu, Omoruyi and McGinest, who led the team a year ago with a combined 469 kills, 265 digs, 29 blocks and 28 aces. The Trailblazers beat Kahuku (Hawaii), Mira Costa, JSerra, San Juan Hills, Palos Verdes, Harvard-Westlake and Cornerstone Christian (San Antonio) to reach the finals of the Ann Kang Invitational in Honolulu. They then rallied past host Iolani, 18-25, 25-11, 15-9, in Saturday’s championship match to win the prestigious tournament for the first time.

Lucky Fasavalu helped lead Sierra Canyon to the Southern Section Division 1 title in 2025.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Division I state champion Harvard-Westlake got 12 kills each from sophomore Brooke Cotter and Boston College-bound Ruby Sampson and 11 from Princeton commit Sophia Cotter against Mater Dei. Last year the Wolverines finished third in the Mission League behind Sierra Canyon and Marymount, which has lost five Division I players to graduation — Sammy Destler (Washington), Elle Vandeweghe (Southern Methodist), Declan Eastman (Rice), Olivia Penske (Georgetown) and Frankie Jones (Brown) — but brings back Northwestern commit Makenna Barnes, setter/hitter Leighton Devereux and Katelyn Oerlemans, a middle/opposite hitter committed to Stanford for beach volleyball.

Challenging Mater Dei in the Trinity League will be Santa Margarita, which won the Southern Section Division 2 title last year behind player of the year Ireland Real, a Texas commit who pounded more than 400 kills and had 150 digs.

Mira Costa will be led by senior captains Brynn Barry (libero), Lerin Rosenthal (setter, opposite) and Allyn Hilt (outside hitter) but will have to overcome the loss of setter Milly McGee (USC) and hitters Audrey Flanagan (Wisconsin) and Simone Roslon. Bay League rival Redondo Union is in a similar circumstance, having to replace hitter Abby Zimmerman (Cal), twins Avery and Addi Junk (Florida State) and middle blocker Taylor Boice (UC Irvine). Cypress graduated CIF-SS Division 3 player of the year Isabella Faro.

Defending champion Palisades and Taft, which lost to the Dolphins in the Open Division semifinals last fall, are the preseason favorites in the City Section.

Matavao relished a chance to face her cousin Fasavalu (the CIF-SS Division 1 player of the year) in the finals again: “I think there’s a good chance we’ll see them again.”

Teams to watch: Mater Dei, Sierra Canyon, Marymount, Harvard-Westlake, JSerra, Santa Margarita, San Juan Hills, Mira Costa, Redondo Union, Newport Harbor, Los Alamitos, Long Beach Poly, Temecula Valley, Crean Lutheran, West Ranch.

Everyone knows the stars of Southern California’s driving landscape: Pacific Coast Highway, the cinematic connector of beach cities; Angeles Crest Highway, a stunning and winding mountain route; and “The Snake,” Mulholland Highway’s infamous roadway that reopened late last year.

A sign along California 33 near Ojai.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

But there’s a less-traveled route that feels just as quintessentially SoCal: California 33 to Hudson Ranch Road, passing through Ojai, Maricopa, New Cuyama and Frazier Park.

Parts of this road curl in on themselves into tight, technical twisties — catnip to car enthusiasts and motorcyclists. But this two-lane motorway also showcases the splendor and diversity of the rugged region, from the forested mountains and canyons in Ventura to the jagged rocks and chaparral of the desert vistas, making it appealing to thrill seekers and sightseers alike. While roadways like the 5 serve to get you from one point to another quickly and efficiently, this one begs you to relish the journey.

“A road like this forces your mind to focus on the immediate needs of car control, while rewarding it with the beauty of the natural world,” says Dave Coleman, a Mazda R&D engineer from Long Beach who incorporates Hudson Ranch Road into his drives to and from the Bay Area. “While driving, there just isn’t enough mental bandwidth left to worry about the stressful things in life.”

This route brings people together, including me and my car enthusiast friends, who regularly go on these driving excursions — gas prices be damned. “We drive these roads for the excitement and euphoria, just like people go to Disneyland,” says Matt Kometer, a SkyLink supervisor from San Pedro who drives a 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata. And, unlike Disneyland or the traditional getaways that involve a hotel stay or a flight, these outings can be put together in a manner of hours.

I was a passenger on a recent Sunday pleasure cruise with a caravan of nine cars, which started in Ojai and ended at the base of Mount Pinos in the Los Padres National Forest. That’s 28 miles as the crow flies, but our route, with a detour for lunch in Cuyama, swelled the journey to more than 100 miles.

An 2026 Audi RS 3 heading to the lunch stop in Cuyama.

(Caroline Pardilla)

If you’re planning a trip of your own, a few things to note before you hit the road: Always check the road conditions, top up the tank because there’s only one gas station in Cuyama, download maps because cell service is spotty, and, if you’re caravanning with friends, it’s nice to bring walkie-talkies to stay in contact. The tunnel section of 33 in Wheeler Springs will be closed Aug. 28-31. Check the Caltrans website for updates.

Here’s a play-by-play of our day on the road.

10 a.m.: Breakfast at Pinyon on Ojai Avenue

Arriving from all corners of the L.A. Basin, the drivers meet up and fuel up at Pinyon Ojai, a pizza restaurant on Ojai Avenue. The shop serves single-origin coffee from Ventura’s Beacon Coffee and breakfast sandwiches featuring house-made bagels. Street-side seating affords prime car spotting, which today includes a right-hand-drive Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUV and an immaculate brown-on-tan Mercedes-Benz SL Pagoda two-seater. Those who time their trip for the second Sunday morning of every month can check out the cars and coffee event a few blocks away at Westridge Midtown Market.

In the restaurant, the friends catch up, chatting about the cars they drove here, the progress of their current car projects and the route for the day. There is an air of anticipation. For many in the group, it’s their first time driving this route. Miatas feature heavily in this crowd, but there are also high-performance rides, like a Porsche 911, a first-generation Audi R8 and an Audi RS 3.

Traveling the canyon on the two-lane highway through Wheeler Springs and Wheeler Gorge is beautiful but slow going, past houses and campgrounds as well as high rock walls that threaten to rain down scree. Three narrow, dark tunnels along the way throttle speeds because of the sudden contrasts from broad daylight. Highway 33, at a modest 3.5% grade, meanders over and along creeks that are invisible from the road but marked by riparian vegetation.

Drivers gather around their cars while stopping along State Route 33.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

After the road opens up, the drivers make short work of the curves while maintaining a respectful distance from one another. Occasionally, a leisure driver bunches up the group until they pull over at the next turnout to let the faster drivers pass. The series of switchbacks with hairpin turns offer a satisfying run up to Pine Mountain Summit. “That’s some world-class sports car fun there,” says Alex Vendler, a cinematographer from Glendale who drove up in a 2003 Miata. The 5,160-foot-high summit allows us to catch our breath and take in the views of the San Rafael Mountains in the west.

Chris Floren of Torrance poses in front of his “Viccup,” a 1960s truck draped over a Ford Crown Victoria.

(Caroline Pardilla)

1 p.m.: A break and more car talk at roadside motel Cuyama Buckhorn

The Buckhorn Restaurant at Cuyama Buckhorn, a midcentury roadside hotel refurbished in 2018, serves as the perfect respite. It’s about 10 miles off our route but is an air-conditioned oasis of burgers, pie a la mode and endless ice water.

If there’s a downside to stopping in the “hidden valley of enchantment,” it’s the distinct lack of shaded parking. But at least there are plenty of spots in front of the hotel. Through the diner’s large front-facing windows, we watched a cowboy mosey past on his horse, checking out the variety of vehicles.

A group of friends has lunch at the Buckhorn Restaurant at Cuyama Buckhorn.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Even though there are 12 of us walk-ins, the hostess immediately pushes several tables together to accommodate the group. The dynamics of this long table invite several different conversations to break out — all about cars. “I have a Miata, and I want a Miata,” says Vendler. Apparently, his tablemate William Benedict, a software engineer from West Hollywood who drove the R8, was skeptical about all the love for the Mazda roadster. Elsewhere, motorsports manager Chris Floren of Torrance is getting props for the surprising prowess of his sleeper “Viccup” — a Ford Crown Victoria police car with a ’60s-era pickup body draped over it. Another group discusses how “One Battle After Another” features the most Nissan Sentra SE-R content of any movie.

After last-minute gulps of water, everyone filters back into the heat of the desert and hurries to air out the cars’ ovenlike cabins. There is a mini photo shoot with Floren’s truck in front of the vintage hotel sign, and then we jump in the cars and backtrack up the 33/166 toward Hudson Ranch Road.

The Hudson Ranch Road is more fun in a Mitsubishi Evo IX.

(Caroline Pardilla)

3:30 p.m.: A ‘roller coaster’ of a road and a reunion in Pine Mountain Club

Unlike Maricopa Highway 33, Hudson Ranch Road features coarser asphalt, no guardrails and more passing zones than turnouts. Kometer said it should be a tarmac rally stage while professional stunt driver and Long Beach local Sarah Fairfield, who piloted the second ’26 MX-5 on this trip, equated it to a roller coaster. The road was originally built in the ’30s to accommodate traffic heading to the ski resort, which closed in the ’70s. Now, the group deems it the highlight of the day. “It let me enjoy the act of driving without having to go too fast,” says Karl Buchka, an aerospace engineer from El Segundo who drove up in the 911.

Although the friends were separated on this leg, having each taken the route at their own pace, they reunite at Pine Mountain General Store in Pine Mountain Club. The Village Center convenience store beckons with shaded parking and a freezer full of frozen treats. Between bites of a chocolate ice cream bar, Coleman proposes continuing on toward Santa Clarita, via the twisties on Bouquet Canyon and Spunky Canyon roads. With competing commitments, however, most of the drivers reluctantly bow out.

A look back at the caravan on the 166/33, heading toward Hudson Ranch Road.

(Caroline Pardilla)

In any case, the daylong cruise served its purpose of resetting the week and reconnecting the friends. “A lot of what this hobby or lifestyle or whatever is about is ultimately an excuse to spend time with friends, and to make new ones,” says Jason Kavanagh, a turbopump engineer from Mid-City who brought a Mitsubishi Evo IX to the outing. “So, yeah, the road is a means to that end.”

The drivers at Pine Mountain Club Village. From left, Matt Kometer, William Benedict, Alex Vendler, Dave Coleman, Sarah Fairfield, Jason Kavanagh, Chris Floren and Derek Dicker.

(Caroline Pardilla)

June 20 (UPI) — The National Parks Service announced that three people died this week in two separate heat-related incidents at Grand Canyon National Park.

Park rangers and emergency medical personnel responded to the two incidents, which occurred on June 12 and June 16, and both of which happened while hikers were on trails in the Inner Canyon, NPS said Friday in a press release.

All three of the people were deceased when officials arrived, and they were transported with aerial support to the Cococino County Medical Examiner’s office.

NPS said that trails in the Inner Canyon region, where all three were found, regularly top 109 degrees Fahrenheit during this time of year.

Earlier this month, an 18-year-old hiker experienced heat-related symptoms while hiking a different part of the park and, although park rangers and a helicopter rescue operations found him, life-saving measures were not successful.

“Hiking Grand Canyon can be a challenge for anyone, especially during the heat of summer,” NPS said in the release.

On June 12, a 72-year-old man was found on the South Kaibab Trail, and four days later, on June 16, a 67-year-old man and 68-year-old woman were found on the North Kaibab Trail.

On its website, NPS recommends that people planning to visit the park be aware that the Inner Canyon area of the park during the summer is “extremely strenuous and potentially dangerous due to intense heat, minimal shade and no water sources.”

As a result, Grand Canyon park officials recommend that hikers avoid trails in the area between 10 a.m and 4 p.m., when it is hottest there.

The agency also noted that because of a range of reasons, rescue efforts may not be immediately available.

In addition to carrying sufficient water, food and first aid supplies — and knowing their own physical limits — NPS also warns the hikers in many Inner Canyon locations be prepared to “self-rescue” and have a plan to do so.

“The recent increase in heat-related incidents comes as summer temperature in the Inner Canyon have reached dangerous levels, creating conditions that can quickly overwhelm hikers during the hottest parts of the day,” the agency said in Friday’s release.

A weekend BASE jumping accident in a Utah canyon killed two people, one of them a daredevil athlete best known for performing onstage with Madonna at the 2012 Super Bowl, authorities said.

The Sheriff’s Office in Grand County, Utah, confirmed one of the dead was Andy Lewis, an extreme athlete known for feats in BASE jumping, a dangerous sport that involves parachuting to the ground after jumping from a tall fixed object such as a building, a bridge or a desert cliff overlooking a deep canyon.

In BASE jumping circles, Lewis had a huge following and a reputation for pushing the envelope — leaping into tighter spaces or deploying his parachute later than his peers would dare, said John McEvoy, a BASE jumping instructor in Twin Falls, Idaho, who has jumped with Lewis.

“He had an incredible level of athleticism and skill that was developed over years of practice,” McEvoy said. “But then he would take an incredible amount of risk.”

Lewis’ other sport made him an overnight celebrity, thanks to Madonna

Lewis was also a prominent figure in the niche sports of slacklining and tricklining, which combine elements of high-wire walking with aerial acrobatics — sometimes at perilous heights.

Lewis went from obscure athlete to overnight celebrity when he appeared onstage in Madonna’s 2012 Super Bowl halftime show. Dressed in a Roman toga, Lewis bounced and executed tricks on his inch-wide line as though it was a trampoline while Madonna sang behind him.

“My phone actually rang itself to death three days in a row,” Lewis said soon afterward in an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s late-night show.

Emergency responders were dispatched Sunday to a report of people injured in a BASE jumping attempt at Mineral Bottom, a remote desert area near the Utah-Colorado line, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Lewis and an unidentified 50-year-old man died at the scene, the office said in a news release.

Sheriff’s Lt. Al Cymbaluk confirmed to the Associated Press that it was Lewis the extreme athlete who died. He said he had no further details on the fatal accident.

BASE jumping is far more dangerous than skydiving

Though there’s no official tally of BASE jumping deaths, a list compiled by the website BASEaddict.com shows 540 total fatalities worldwide since 1981 — including 30 people killed last year. Prominent deaths include BASE jumper Dean Potter and his climbing partner, Graham Hunt, who were killed in 2015 while attempting a wingsuit flight in Yosemite National Park.

A study focused on BASE jumping in Norway, published in a medical journal in 2007, estimated that BASE jumping carried risks of injury or death five to eight times greater than skydiving.

Lewis openly acknowledged the sport’s inherent danger.

“It’s weird to think about how many people are dead, because it’s like a normal thing,” Lewis told documentary filmmaker Ella Warnick in an interview published last year.

Lewis owned BASE Jump Moab, a business that offered excursions to inexperienced customers using tandem jumps, in which the customer was harnessed to a guide wearing the parachute.

Sheriff’s spokesperson Cymbaluk said he didn’t know whether Lewis and the other man killed were performing a tandem jump.

Tandem BASE jumping carries additional risk because it straps together two people, one of whom generally lacks experience, under a single parachute, McEvoy said. But because they involve novices, they also tend to be the most low-risk, basic types of jumps.

“Within BASE, it’s a very controversial topic,” McEvoy said. “There’s a lot of people who say it’s the stupidest thing in the world and others arguing, `No, we’re giving people the experience of their lives.’”

No one immediately returned phone, text and Facebook messages left Monday for BASE Jump Moab.

Lewis won four straight world championships in competitive slacklining from 2008 through 2011. Lewis set a Guinness World Record for slackline surfing, swaying his feet side to side in a rocking motion that mimics surfing, while keeping his balance above China’s Diaoshuilou waterfall in 2011.

In 2014, he walked a slackline suspended between two hot air balloons more than 4,000 feet above the Nevada desert.

Bynum writes for the Associated Press.