A tragic incident occurred on Sunday at the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, where a 50-year-old hiker from San Angelo, Texas, lost his life while trying to reach the south rim using the popular Bright Angel Trail. The hiker had spent the night at Havasupai Gardens and was hiking back to the rim when the unfortunate event took place.
At around 2 p.m., the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a distress call about an unresponsive hiker nearly 100 feet below the trailhead. Despite efforts by bystanders and emergency responders to revive the man, their attempts were unsuccessful.
This incident marks the second hiker fatality from Texas in the Grand Canyon National Park within a span of two weeks. Just recently, on June 29, a 69-year-old hiker from Austin, Texas, collapsed on the River Trail while attempting to reach Phantom Ranch via the South Kaibab Trail. Despite CPR efforts, the hiker could not be resuscitated.
The National Park Service (NPS) is currently investigating both incidents in coordination with the Coconino County Medical Examiner. The NPS has highlighted the risks associated with hiking in extreme conditions, as temperatures on exposed parts of the trail can soar up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
An analysis of deaths in national parks between 2014 and 2019 revealed that hiking ranks as the second-deadliest recreational activity after driving, with drowning being the second leading cause of unintentional deaths following motor vehicle accidents.
