Chenoa Nickerson: Family of woman who perished in Havasu Canyon flash flooding starts GoFundMe for rescuers

PHOENIX - More than 100 hikers were rescued from Havasu Canyon last week, after a violent flash flood hit the area.

The flooding was deadly, and the victim was a Gilbert woman named Chenoa Nickerson. She was hiking in Havasu Canyon with her husband on Aug. 22 when the flash flood tore through the area. The raging flood separated Nickerson and her husband. While Nickerson perished, her husband was rescued.

"Chenoa has the biggest heart out of everyone we know, and we know she would want us to pay it forward," said Nickerson's brother, Janosh Wolters.

Wolters describes Nickerson as loving, caring, and giving, and that's how he wants her to be remembered.

"I think we were all taken aback," Wolters said. "We knew she was going into the hike with her husband. We knew it was a remote location. We knew we wouldn't have contact with them."

Wolters and other members of the family started a GoFundMe page. While it has become rather common for bereaved families to start GoFundMe campaigns for funeral expenses or other purposes, this one raises money for the National Park Service Search and Rescue, who helped save many lives in the incident.

"We know oftentimes, those organizations are underfunded, and those individuals often need new equipment and funds for training," said Wolters.

Chenoa's loved ones want to make sure her legacy lives on.

"Obviously, it's devastating and horrible, but now we're at a point where we just want to honor her legacy," said Wolters. "We want for nothing. We have each other's friends, unwavering support of everyone online. Now we want to make sure Chenoa's memory lives on forever."