A 67-year-old man from Alvarado, Texas, died on the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon National Park while attempting to reach the Colorado River, according to the National Park Service.
The Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report of an unresponsive hiker on the trail, below Cedar Ridge, on July 8, just before noon, according to NPS. Bystanders began CPR while National Park Service medical personnel and volunteers responded on foot, according to the NPS.
The man was attempting to reach the river for an overnight stay at Phantom Ranch, NPS said. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
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The hiker had turned around at Skeleton Point and was making his way back up the trail when the incident occurred, according to the NPS.
Summer temperatures on exposed parts of the trail can exceed 120 degrees, creating extremely hazardous conditions for hikers, according to the NPS.
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“In addition to the heat, pre-existing medical conditions can compound physical stress, making summer hiking particularly risky, especially during the peak heat hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Park rangers strongly advise against hiking in the inner canyon during those hours and urge all visitors to take extreme caution when planning hikes during the summer months,” NPS said in a statement.
An investigation into the incident is being conducted.
