Missing hiker in Grand Canyon identified as dead weeks after human remains found after deadly flooding

By Chris Boyette, CNN

(CNN) — Authorities have recovered the remains of the last hiker unaccounted for since deadly flash floods in the Grand Canyon last month, his family said Thursday.

“My family has done a lot of waiting over the last three weeks … waiting and hoping,” Timothy Allen Smith’s wife, Carrie Smith, posted on Facebook. “We no longer have to wait, Tim was found two days ago by the Rangers at Grand Canyon National Park.”

The remains were found Monday near Crystal Rapid, about 10 miles downstream from Phantom Ranch, one of the areas devastated by the August 29 flooding that washed out footbridges and campgrounds, and left Smith, 53, and his friends Brent Rosenkranz and John Giusti, dead, according to the National Park Service.

“The National Park Service extends its deepest condolences … 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,” Elizabeth Peace, a spokesperson for the US Department of the Interior, said in a statement.

The remains were sent to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office, which confirmed the identity, authorities said in a statement.

“Thank you for all the prayers over the last couple of weeks. 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,” Carrie Smith said.

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CNN’s Avni Trivedi contributed to this report.