Grand Canyon National Park Visitor Dies in Fall

Visiting the Grand Canyon is one of the most unforgettable experiences in a traveler’s life, but tragedy struck at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on Thursday when a man fell to his death.

According to Kody Acevedo of The Arizona Republic, 29-year-old Juan Carreras-Soto was visiting the South Rim of the Grand Canyon when he fell 400 feet off the cliff east of Mather Point at around 4:20 p.m. local time Thursday.

Mather Point is near the national park’s visitor center and is one of the first locations tourists stop to witness the majesty of the Grand Canyon.

Rescue personnel using helicopters were able to discover his body, but the crew determined that Carreras-Soto had passed away. The terrain, time of day and safety concerns made a recovery impossible Thursday, but the victim’s body was recovered on Friday morning.

The early investigation into the death determined that the fall was an accident, but the National Park Service and Coconino County medical examiner are still putting the finishing touches on the case.

Tragedies at Grand Canyon National Park are an all-too-common occurrence. According to USA Today, about a dozen people die at the park each year. Falls, river mishaps and natural causes are the most common reasons for the tragic events.

In total, 4.8 million tourists visited the Grand Canyon last year.

Source: Travel Pulse