Hiker dies at Grand Canyon National Park after falling 200 feet off ledge
A hiker at Grand Canyon National Park fell 200 feet off a ledge to his death, park authorities said.
The hiker, a 44-year-old man whose name was not released, was near the rim west of the Bright Angel Point Trail on the North Rim of the park, the National Park Service said in a news release.
Officials said the man was off the trail when he fell off the edge of the rim. Rangers arrived at the scene after 3:30 p.m. and found the man’s body “approximately 200 feet below the rim.”
The National Park Service advises people to stay on designated trails and walkways at all times, and to not climb over railings or fences.
“Make sure that your travel companions have both feet firmly planted on pavement or developed trails,” the service said. “Know where the edge is. Watch foot placement and look for trip hazards.”
The accident comes after two people died in falls while hiking in the U.S. in recent weeks. A woman fell to her death in Oregon on Aug. 19 and a man died in New Hampshire on Aug. 20.
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Hiker dies after being separated from group in Arizona
The same day of the latest fall, another hiker was found dead after getting lost on trails in Lake Havasu City in western Arizona.
Mohave County Sheriff’s officials said four hikers called 911 around 2:30 p.m. Friday to say they were lost, out of water and showing signs of heat exhaustion in 104-degree conditions.
City fire rescue crews found a 61-year-old man and two women, ages 63 and 27, near a trail. The two women were dehydrated and taken to a hospital. The man told authorities about a 31-year-old man who left the group to find the trailhead.
“They were visiting Sara Park from out of town and unfamiliar with the increased danger of hiking in the heat of the day and the challenging trail system during the summer,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
The man was found dead Saturday afternoon off the trail system in a desert wilderness area of Lake Havasu City, less than 200 miles southwest of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Contributing: The Associated Press
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hiker dies at Grand Canyon National Park after 200-foot fall off ledge
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