20-year-old woman's body recovered at Grand Canyon after days-long search, officials say
A 20-year-old woman's body was found at the Grand Canyon on Tuesday after days of searching for her, officials said Thursday.
Leticia A. Castillo's death was the third one reported at the national park since July 31 and at least the fourth since the start of summer. Officials said they faced inclement weather and hazardous terrain during all three recovery operations.
Castillo, who was from Albuquerque, New Mexico, is believed to have entered the Grand Canyon on or around Aug. 3, officials said. Her body was found about 150 feet below the rim near Twin Overlooks along Desert View Drive. The National Park Service and the county medical examiner are investigating her death.
On Aug. 1, just days before Castillo's body was found, officials received a report of a visitor who had attempted a BASE jump from Yavapai Point on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Park rangers found the victim's body about 500 feet below the rim along with a deployed parachute. Officials have not yet publicly identified the man.
BASE jumping, which involves parachuting from fixed objects, is prohibited in all areas of Grand Canyon National Park.
Another Grand Canyon visitor died on July 31. Abel Joseph Mejia, a 20-year-old North Carolina resident, fell from the rim approximately 1/4 mile west of Pipe Creek Overlook. Rangers found his body 400 feet below the rim.
In a post on social media, Indiana Bible College 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.
Earlier in the summer, a Texas man died after he collapsed on a hiking trail in the Grand Canyon.
About 12 people die each year at Grand Canyon National Park, CBS affiliate KLAS-TV reported in June.