North Carolina college student falls 400 feet to his death at Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park, Ariz. — The body of a North Carolina college student who fell 400 feet near a scenic viewpoint on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park has been recovered, authorities said Thursday.
Park rangers said they received a report about a park visitor falling from the Pipe Creek Vista around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. They said the body of Abel Joseph Mejia, 20, of Hickory, was later recovered about a quarter-mile from the overlook.
Park officials said Mejia accidentally fell when he was near the edge of the rim. The National Park Service and the Coconino County medical examiner's office are investigating.
In a post on social media, Indiana Bible Colle in Indianapolis said Mejia was a student there.
"Abel lost his life yesterday in an accident while visiting the Grand Canyon," the college wrote. "He was known for his warm smile and gentle spirit, and his absence will be deeply felt by all who knew him."
Turning Point Pentecostal Church said in a social media post that Mejia was on a mission trip before his fatal fall. "Please keep the Mejia family in your prayers!" the church wrote.
According to CBS affiliate KPHO-TV, Mejia's death marked at least the fourth death in the Grand Canyon in recent months.
"In this specific area, this individual was hiking off trail which is a pretty common place occurrence for a lot of our visitors here," said Joelle Baird, a public affairs officer for the Grand Canyon National Park.
Authorities said park staff encourages visitors to stay on designated trails and walkways, keep a safe distance of at least 6 feet from the edge of the rim and stay behind railings and fences at overlooks.
"The last fatal fall we had here in the park was in 2022 on the North Rim. Prior to that here on the South Rim was in 2020," said Baird. "On average we do see about 10-15 deaths per year."