Photo by Nick Gilbert

Antelope Canyon is one of the most breathtaking creations of nature. It is located in the land of the Navajo Tribe in Arizona. Over millions of years water and wind carved the sandstone forming majestic and narrow passages, just enough space for a small group of people to walk the sandy floor, and for the occasional rays of sunlight to beam down from above. Light enters the canyon through small openings and reflects off the sandstone walls creating a wide array of colors, so praised by photographers and sightseers.

Nevertheless, the beauty of Antelope Canyon is deadly. During monsoon season rain water can quickly flood the canyon. It doesn't have to downpour on or near the canyon slots for flash floods to whip through, as rain falling dozens of miles away "upstream" can funnel into the canyon with little prior notice. On 12 August 1997 eleven tourists, including seven from France, one from the United Kingdom, one from Sweden and two U.S. residents were killed in Antelope Canyon by a flash flood. Very little rain fell at the site that day, but an earlier thunderstorm had dumped a large amount of water into the canyon basin, several miles upstream. Terrified tourists watched from the rim of the canyon as the wall of water slammed into the 12 people in the bottom of the canyon and swept them downstream. Only one person survived.

Crews dispatched in the effort to find survivors or recover bodies could not do much at first because the water kept flowing and continued to flow until 4:00 a.m. the next morning. In the following days, crews worked in Antelope Canyon and on Lake Powell, six miles downstream from the canyon slot. Numerous police and dog teams came to assist, and the messy, traumatizing effort lasted a full week. During this time Antelope Canyon practically became a household name in France, as the French media filed numerous reports on the tragedy that left seven of its citizens dead. In a strange twist the tragedy has boosted the popularity of the canyon.

Beatrice Aline, 20, of France, was the first body recovered in a side tributary of the canyon. Eight of the victims drowned and their bodies were recovered from Lake Powell. Two of the victims have never been located, although the debris field is still occasionally searched in hope that they will someday be located.