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Swept off in Grand Canyon

A woman who was swept down a backcountry creek in Grand Canyon National Park along with her stepgrandson is an experienced hiker and married to a founder of a popular outdoor footwear company, family members said Monday.

Authorities were searching for Jackson Standefer, 14, and Lou-Ann Merrell, 62, wife of Randy Merrell, who helped found the Merrell Boot Co. in 1981.

The pair lost their footing Saturday and fell into the water during a family trip with Randy Merrell and the boy's mother in a remote area of the Arizona park.

Officials were alerted when an emergency GPS locator beacon was set off below the canyon's North Rim, said Chief Ranger Matt Vandzura of the National Park Service.

Mark McOmie, Jackson's uncle, said the Merrells were avid hikers and knew the area well. 

He said rescue workers sent drones to the steepest part of the canyon. The water roars down through rocks, so the family is hoping that the two could be on a rock or have found a cave for shelter, McOmie said.



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