Man dies from 400-foot fall near Grand Canyon South Rim overlook

Carter Williams, KSL.com

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. (KSL.com) — A 20-year-old North Carolina man died from a autumn on nan separator of nan Grand Canyon Wednesday, parkland rangers say.

The Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a study of a autumn adjacent Pipe Creek Overlook on nan Grand Canyon’s South Rim soon aft 10:30 a.m. Rangers said they responded to nan segment and recovered nan man, identified arsenic Abel Joseph Mejia, of Hickory, North Carolina, dormant astir 400 feet beneath nan canyon rim.

The autumn remains nether investigation, but parkland rangers said Mejia was “near nan separator of nan rim” erstwhile he slipped and fell into nan canyon. The incident is being investigated arsenic an accidental fall.

Rangers declined to merchandise immoderate different accusation astir nan incident. Still, they said visitors should ever stay connected designated trails and walkways and enactment astatine slightest 6 feet from nan separator of nan canyon rim. They adhd that visitors should besides stay down immoderate railings and fences astatine overlooks for illustration Pipe Creek.

The Grand Canyon retained its title arsenic nan most-visited nationalist parkland successful nan West past year, drafting successful 4.7 cardinal visitors. However, it’s besides 1 of nan nation’s deadliest nationalist parks, averaging 13.6 deaths per twelvemonth complete nan past decade from falls and different causes, nan Arizona Republic reports.

The outlet noted that only Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Yosemite National Park averaged much deaths betwixt mid-2013 and mid-2023.

With elevations ranging from 7,000-8,000 feet and a barren climate, Canyon Canyon parkland rangers said galore visitors aren’t prepared for nan canyon’s elements. They besides urge that visitors deterioration and reapply sunblock often, bring plentifulness of water, remainder successful shadiness successful nan summertime and return their clip connected hikes and overlooks to debar fatigue because of nan park’s unsocial environment.