Kaitlin Kenney, a 21-year-old woman from Englewood, Colorado, was reported missing on Saturday from a private river trip in Grand Canyon National Park and her mother, Linnea Kenney, sadly fears that her daughter is dead. Park rangers say Kenney was last seen at her group’s campsite on the north side of the Colorado River. After an extensive search on land and along the river, Linnea has lost hope.
“We believe that she’s probably fallen into the river, and we’re just waiting for word when someone finds her,” Linnea told the Associated Press on Wednesday.
If Kenney truly did die from falling into the river, officials at the Grand Canyon said that it could be a week or longer before her body surfaces. Kenney was studying anthropology and American Indian cultures at the University of Montana and she was halfway through the month-long river trip. No one saw the young woman get up in the middle of the night, but in the morning she was missing, her mother said.
But rangers are still looking for the missing woman.
“With no additional clues to guide search efforts on land, the decision was made to scale the search back to a continuous, but limited mode in which rangers and pilots will continue to search for clues when in the area. In addition, flyers with Kenney’s picture and description remain posted at popular river trip launch and takeout points; and anyone who may have information regarding her whereabouts is encouraged to call the park tip line at 928-638-7767.”
Kenney, the youngest of four children, was last seen wearing a tan knee-length coat, hiking boots, rugged tan pants, a long-sleeved grey shirt, multi-colored scarf and a black knit cap.