Search Continues For Missing Arizona Hiker

An Arizona hiker is missing in Zion National Park. The 29-year-old woman, now identified as Jetal Agnihotri of Tucson, Arizona, was reported missing Friday after flash floods in the Narrows area of the park. Another hiker was hospitalized after being swept away and injured in the flooding. After receiving the initial report, the National Park Service immediately sent rangers to assess the situation and began mobilizing for a large-scale response. Near the Temple of Sinawava, park rangers found an injured hiker who had been swept downstream several hundred yards. A National Park Service ambulance transported the hiker to a hospital. Zion National Park maintenance staff who had been doing other work on Zion Canyon Scenic Drive immediately moved to positions along the Virgin River to monitor conditions there. More than 20 park rangers and members of the Zion Search and Rescue Team deployed with flotation devices and ropes along the Virgin River prepared to reach visitors who might be in the water. Zion rangers are monitoring the weather and continuing the park’s search and rescue efforts. The Narrows and Riverside Walk areas remain closed due to the search operation. Additionally, Emerald Pools and the Kayenta Trail were already closed following rain on August 18, and those trails remain closed.