Body Found In Colorado River Identified

Grand Canyon, AZ - The body of a man found in the Colorado River within Grand Canyon National Park on Tuesday, September 14th, has been identified as that of Paul Smith, 48, from the state of Washington. Positive identification was made early this morning by the Coconino County Medical Examiner, located in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Paul Smith disappeared from his campsite at River Mile 118 on the Colorado River on Wednesday evening, September 8th. He had been on a commercial river trip that launched from Lees Ferry (River Mile 0) on Thursday, September 2nd. A passenger on the same trip heard calls for help coming from the river at approximately 10:00 p.m. Wednesday night. A check of the campsite indicated Smith was missing. River trip crews searched the area for two hours, but were unable to locate the missing man. The incident was reported to the National Park Service (NPS) via satellite phone at approximately 12:15 a.m. the following morning.

The NPS launched an aerial search at first light Thursday morning and deployed a dive team from Glen Canyon National Recreation Area to search a large eddy at the point last seen. Aerial searches continued through Tuesday, September 14th, when the body was located by crew members from a commercial river trip at River Mile 122.5, four miles down river from where Paul Smith had been camping. His body was recovered by the NPS and taken to the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office. The cause of death has been ruled as drowning.