A 74-year-old man died while hiking the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service said Monday.
The man, identified as Dennis Smith of Olympia, Washington, was attempting to hike from the canyon’s South Rim to the North Rim, the park service said. The rim-to-rim trek covers a distance of about 24 miles and is described as a “strenuous” hike by the National Park Foundation.
Smith, who was an “avid and experienced hiker,” according to the park service, was found unresponsive on North Kaibab Trail at around 4:45 p.m. last Thursday. The park service describes the trail as “the least visited and most difficult of the major inner canyon trails at Grand Canyon National Park.”
Bystanders and park service personnel attempted to resuscitate Smith, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. A cause of death was not shared. His death is under investigation by the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.
NPS/Michael Quinn
People doing a rim-to-rim hike are recommended to start before the sun rises and take a break during the hottest part of the day to avoid heat-related illnesses, the National Park Foundation said.
The park service warned that the Grand Canyon will experience extreme heat in the coming days. Temperatures in the inner canyon are expected to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit, so visitors should avoid the area between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Those attempting difficult treks like the rim-to-rim hike that involve the inner canyon are “encouraged to be self-reliant to prevent emergency situations for themselves and responders,” the park service said. They should also monitor inner canyon conditions.
“Be aware that efforts to assist hikers may be delayed due to limited staff, the number of rescue calls, and employee safety requirements,” the park service said.
About 10 people die at the Grand Canyon every year, CBS affiliate AZFamily reported. This is the first death at the park that the park service has reported this year.
A 33-year-old hiker died at Arizona’s Gold Canyon, near Phoenix, amid unseasonably warm temperatures on May 11. Four other hikers who had been with him said they had been hiking for about six hours when he had a seizure and fell unconscious. The hikers had run out of water and were suffering from heat-related illnesses, the survivors said. First responders later pronounced the man dead at the scene.
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