Hiker Dies on Grand Canyon Trail, Second in Weeks

(ProsperNews.net) – A Texas man has died while hiking through the Grand Canyon National Park. The 50-year-old from San Angelo died while attempting to reach the south rim of the Grand Canyon, the park’s communications office confirmed in a press release. The Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center said it received a report of an unresponsive hiker on the Bright Angel Trail, where passersby unsuccessfully tried to revive him with CPR.

Xanterra Fire and Security and National Park Service (NPS) medical teams attended the scene but were also unable to revive the hiker. His death is under investigation by the NPS in partnership with the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s office. It is the second in the area this month.

In early July, officials attended the River Trail near Phantom Ranch, having received reports of a half-conscious hiker lying in the pathway. Scott Sims, a 69-year-old from Austin, subsequently lost consciousness, and life-saving measures were unsuccessful.

The National Park Service has warned hikers about rising temperatures on Grand Canyon trails, which can reach 120 degrees in the shade. Visitors are advised not to hike in the area between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Additionally, emergency personnel resources are stretched in the summer months due to higher call volume and lower staff levels.

Federal data shows that around a dozen people die in the region every year. The Grand Canyon National Park is the deadliest in America, and more people go missing there than anywhere else in the US. Between 2018 and 2023, roughly 1,100 people were reported missing, though officials say most of these were found unharmed.

A retired chief of emergency services at the park says most incidents involve extreme heat, and the majority of deaths are attributed to heat stroke, drowning, lightning, accidental falls, suicides, and aircraft crashes. The park is littered with warning signs cautioning visitors about the dangers of hiking and noting that temperatures increase by 5.5% with every 1,000-foot loss in elevation.