Wisconsin man dies while hiking in Grand Canyon
A 56-year-old Wisconsin man died while hiking in Grand Canyon National Park, park officials announced Tuesday.
The National Park Service said in a news release that he was found on the Bright Angel Trail – one of the most popular hiking trails into the Grand Canyon because of its views – below Havasupai Gardens, near Flagstaff, Arizona last Friday. The NPS said their search and rescue personnel pronounced him dead.
Authorities said the man, whose name was not released, was from Pewaukee, Wisconsin and was attempting a day hike to the Colorado River and back. An investigation into the incident is underway by the parks service and the medical examiner in Coconino County, Arizona.
According to the parks service, the Bright Angel trail is well-defined and steep. The parks service also warns visitors to not attempt to hike from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, where the trail starts, to the Colorado River. Images from the park before last Thursday also show snow at the South Rim.
This hiker's death comes as another 56-year-old hiker died Saturday at Big Bend National Park in Texas. The parks service said they received a call about a person, whose name they did not release, experiencing chest pains. Friends of the hiker attempted CPR on him and continued with the help of bystanders and park volunteers until rangers arrived, the parks service said, but he ultimately died.
Rick Gupman, the park's acting deputy superintendent, said in a statement that staff and partners were "saddened by this loss."
"Our entire park family extends condolences to the hiker's family and friends," Gupman said.
An analysis of federal data between 2007 and 2018 shows there were more than 2,700 deaths at a U.S. National Parks site, while an estimated 3.5 billion recreation visits were made to the parks.