Grand Canyon National Park rangers searching for three .....

[hikeaz]

Grand Canyon, Ariz. – Grand Canyon National Park rangers searching for three individuals in the Colorado River.

At approximately 8:45 this morning the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center, located within Grand Canyon National Park, received a 9-1-1 call from Phantom Ranch and a call from an emergency phone located at Boat Beach near Phantom Ranch with reports of three individuals in the water. Witnesses stated they saw three individuals jump into the river near Boat Beach and were last seen being swept downriver.

Park rangers are currently conducting an aerial search of the river below Boat Beach and have personnel staged on the river near Pipe Creek approximately 1 ½ mile below Boat Beach. Park rangers are also staged at Phantom Ranch, which is located approximately ½ mile below Boat Beach and a park ranger is with family members that were with the individuals at the time of the incident.

Additional personnel from Grand Canyon's River district are in route and will join search operations on the river.

The National Park Service is also being assisted by a boat crew from a commercial concessioner, Diamond River Adventures, at Pipe Creek.

Water temperatures in the Colorado River in this area, range from approximately 49 – 52 degrees.

Additional details will be forthcoming as they become available.

[writelots]

Terrible to hear. I fear that stories of these kinds of accidents may give caution to a few others, but the simple fact is that humans often make stupid mistakes. Unfortunately, in places like the Grand Canyon, those mistakes can so often be terminal. These boys probably felt some degree of that youthful imortailty...and the river looked like a challenge rather than a danger. I feel for their families, and for those who witnessed the event or helped in the rescue. It must have been horrible.

[big_load]

Part of the responsibility here lies with the trip's adult leaders, who not only should read the papers, but also read the information the Park Service gives out to backpackers.

Quite true. I hate to say it, but church groups seem to get hit especially hard. They're out for a picnic and a walk in the woods. Swimming is something they hadn't planned on and aren't usually trained to support. Around here, a multiple drowning is most often a church group or a family gathering where one or more weak swimmers or non-swimmers rush to the aid of another weak swimmer or non-swimmer who shouldn't have entered the water in the first place. It's sad for the families and sad for the leaders who didn't understand the risk they were taking until it was too late.

[Jeffshadows]

You hit on something there. Most folks without any training or experience with rescue immediately jump into the water and make themselves another victim. This happened in Sabino a couple of years back with tragic consequences.

[azdesertfather]

Church mourns youth drowned on Canyon trip; 2 still missing

by Eugene Scott - May. 4, 2009
The Arizona Republic

A teenager who drowned in the Colorado River on a church hiking trip last week was described by his pastor as a young man who planned to go into the ministry.

Mark Merrill, 16, attempted to swim across the river with his older brother, Joey, 22; and friend, Saif Savaya, 16. Mark's body was found; Joey and Saif remain missing.

The Merrills are from Sanders. Joey has lived in the East Valley for the past four years while attending International Baptist College in Chandler, a ministry of Tri-City Baptist Church in Tempe.

Joey was planning to graduate in December and then enter the ministry.

Joey Merrill was described as a young man who values life so much that he devotes his to others, yet is so lighthearted that he is not above pulling practical jokes on the church staff and fellow churchgoers.

"He was unbelievably loved," said Mike Sproul, pastor at Tri-City, where Joey attended. "Just a great young man. Whatever you needed to do, he was there."

Mark looked up to his older brother and like him, desired to go into the ministry.

Their friend Saif, a Williams Field High School soccer player, is said to have been a good kid from a good family.

"They were wonderful young men - very caring, very giving," Sproul said.

While not known as adventurous, Mark attempted to swim across the river Thursday morning. It cost him his life.

National Park Service rangers began searching for the bodies of Joey and Saif Thursday morning, but have since scaled back their effort.

"We always hope until we know for sure," Sproul said. "There are thousands of people across the world praying . . . I've been getting e-mails and text messages from across the world."

National Park Service rangers have repeatedly searched a 10-mile area via boat, helicopter and foot with dogs. Fliers have been placed around the park.

The young men participated in their church's annual hiking trip at the Grand Canyon last week, said Sproul.

About 30 people went on the trip.

Saif and Mark were among several non-Tri-City members on the trip.

Instead of using a bridge to cross the river, the youths found a trail around the bridge and decided to wade in the water before diving in.

Sproul said other hikers yelled at the young men, cautioning them to get out of the river, but Sproul wasn't sure if the youths heard the warnings.

"As soon as you get in the water, you're swept by the current," Sproul said.

Mark's body was discovered Friday, a mile south of where the trio was last seen.

For the past 25 years, college students and others affiliated with Tri-City have hiked the canyon.

"This is not anything we haven't done a lot of times," Sproul said. "We've probably taken 1,000 adults . . . and never had nothing more than a sprained ankle."

All participants are required to read a National Park Service-issued safety manual before the trip. People are stationed throughout the canyon and are equipped with walkie-talkies to insure safety. Sproul said the hikers travel in small groups and are no more than half a mile apart.

The Tri-Baptist Church community has been shaken all weekend, and he attempted to comfort them Sunday morning with a biblical passage that speaks of navigating life's troubled waters, he added.

"He (God) is our help," said Sproul, referencing Psalms 46. "He is our strength. The flood took their lives, but the moment they lost their lives, they saw a stream in heaven."

Sproul was in New York's Central Park with some of the church's high-school seniors when he received the message about the young men.

"It was the phone call every pastor dreads," he said. "You think about it constantly as a pastor . . . We're always very, very careful."

More than 100 students are enrolled at IBC and many of them know Joey, Sproul said.

Members of the IBC family were on campus Friday mourning Joey's disappearance.

Grief counselors will continue to be available for students.

Classes resume today and plans were in place to honor Joey at this year's graduation.

[Grasshopper]

Church mourns youth drowned on Canyon trip; 2 still missing

by Eugene Scott - May. 4, 2009
The Arizona Republic

Just announced on 4:30pm local TV news that the missing two were located today by two different rafting parties.. finally some closure for the families..

[azdesertfather]

yep, just heard it too. unfortunately, we all kind of knew this bad news would come sooner or later.
my sincerest condolences go out to these families.

here's the story:

Bodies of 2 Grand Canyon hikers recovered

by Eddi Trevizo - May. 15, 2009 03:04 PM
The Arizona Republic

The bodies of two young men, believed to be two missing drowning victims from a group outing in late April, were found Thursday afternoon, said authorities at Grand Canyon National Park Services.

The two bodies were pulled from the Colorado River and taken to the Coconino County Medical Examiner for identification, said Maureen Oltrogge, in a Grand Canyon National Park Services press release. The young men have been presumptively identified as 16 year-old Saif Savaya, and 22 year-old Joey Merrill, authorities said.

The first body was found by a private boating party and pulled from the Colorado River between Crystal Rapid and Camp Beach near River Mile 98. The second body was located near Agate Rapid at approximately River Mile 100.5, by Hatch River Expeditions, a commercial river operator.

Grand Canyon officials had scaled back on search attempts for the two missing drowning victims who were part of a group that was on a day hike from the South Rim to Phantom Ranch.

Grand Canyon rangers said the decision to scale back on search efforts had been made after taking into consideration circumstances such as the swift current, water temperature and the fact that the young men were tired and did not wear life jackets.

The two missing young men and 16 year-old Mark Merrill drowned after attempting to swim across the river near River Mile 88 on April 30, according to a Grand Canyon Park Services press release. The three were part of a group of about 30 people participating in an annual trip sponsored by Tri-City Baptist Church in Tempe. Other hikers said they yelled at the young men not to go into the water, but they are unsure if they heard the warning.

[azdesertfather]

There is a nice YouTube tribute that has been posted for Joey Merrill, the 22-year-old who died. You can also read here about how to support the family during this difficult time.

http://www.tricityministries.org