Remains found Monday in the Grand Canyon have been confirmed to be that of Timothy Smith, 53, of Star Valley Ranch. Smith had been missing since September 3 when flash flooding swept through the Bright Angel Campground where he had been staying.

“My family has done a lot of waiting over the last three weeks….waiting and hoping Tim (Daddy) would come home, waiting and wondering if the remains found were Tim (Daddy),” stated Tim’s wife, Carrie, in a Facebook post on Thursday morning. “We no longer have to wait, Tim was found two days ago by the Rangers at Grand Canyon National Park. Not in the way we had hoped, but we know that he was doing something he loved with John and Brent.”

Smith was hiking in the Grand Canyon on September 3 with friends John Giusti, 46, and Brent Rosenkranz, 42, both from Texas, when a downpour caused a flash flood. According to information provided by the Grand Canyon National Park, a total of 82 people were rescued, many by helicopter, while others were able to hike to safety. Unfortunately, Fiusti and Rosenkranz were unable to survive the flood and their bodies were recovered. The search continued for Tim.

It was announced on Tuesday that human remains had been found the previous day, but they were not confirmed to belong to Smith until Thursday.

“We know that these three men loved the Lord and were a shining light for Him. The impact their lives had on others is still being shown to our families daily,” continued Carrie. “Thank you for all the prayers over the last couple of weeks. Please do not stop praying for my family, we have lived through an enormous tragedy and will need your prayers for months/years to come. We know God is an AWESOME GOD and He will walk us through this season of life.”