A 53-year-old North Texas chiropractor was killed and two of his friends who went on their dream trip are missing after a flash flood swept through the Grand Canyon over the weekend, their families said.
Dr. John Giusti, who worked as a chiropractor at ChiroHabit in Granbury, was on a “dream trip” with his friends Brent Rosenkranz, 42, and Timothy Allen Smith, 53, when torrential rains caused waters to rapidly rise in the Bright Angel Creek area, according to a joint statement released Monday afternoon by their families, Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV reported.
Giusti and his friends entered the Grand Canyon on Friday, Aug. 28, on a multi-day hiking trip.
The search and rescue teams recovered Giusti’s body on Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River. Ground and air crews continue their search for Smith, Rosenkranz and about a dozen other people who are unaccounted for.
“John was a real-life superhero to everyone blessed enough to know him. As a dedicated chiropractor, he truly lived to treat and heal, pouring his soul into helping others move through the world with strength and comfort,” according to a GoFundMe post organized to support Giusti’s family. “Beyond his practice, he was a man of electric energy and boundless passion — an avid runner, an enthusiast of fast cars, and a massive fan of comic books and legendary heroes. Yet out of all the titles he carried, his absolute favorite was being a devoted father to his three daughters.”
“To the community, he was a gifted healer. To his friends, a powerhouse of life. To his daughters, he was their ultimate hero. To me, he was my whole world,” his wife, Janet Giusti, wrote in the post.
The flood happened deep in the canyon near where the Colorado River flows, around popular lodges and camping areas where people hiking from one rim of the Grand Canyon to the other stop for the night.
Saturday’s flash flood severely damaged the only water pipeline into the canyon and forecasters have warned more flooding was possible.
Grand Canyon National Park issued emergency water restrictions for year-round residents and barred tourists from staying at lodges and hotels inside the park.
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