Three women survived a deadly Grand Canyon flood after clinging to a rock ledge for 5 hours

Bright Angel Canyon, damaged by floods, flows into the Colorado River (Image: AP Photo/John Locher) A routine hike through the Grand Canyon turned into a fight for survival when a sudden flash flood sent torrents of muddy water, rocks and debris through the canyon. Three women found themselves trapped during the storm and spent about five hours clinging to a rock ledge, uncertain whether they would make it out alive. At one point, they were separated from one another and each feared the others had been swept away by the floodwaters. According to 98 Rock Online, the survivors were sisters Jessica Buscher and Melanie McGuirk and their friend Katie Brink. The flood struck at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, forcing them to take shelter on a ledge and hold on as water and debris moved through the canyon. Their ordeal eventually ended when a rescue helicopter spotted them and brought them to safety.The storm arrived quicklyThe three women had begun their hike expecting an ordinary day in one of America's most famous landscapes. Instead, conditions changed dramatically when the monsoon storm intensified. Heavy rain began pouring through the canyon, turning normally passable areas into dangerous...