18-Year-Old Hiker Dies on Grand Canyon Trail in 109F Heat

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 15

Grand Canyon National Park said an 18-year-old hiker died after developing heat-related symptoms on the Bright Angel Trail during a June 3 day hike from the South Rim to the Colorado River and back.
Rangers found him about 30 feet below the trail near Garden Creek, but lifesaving efforts failed; the death remains under investigation by the park and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.
109F temperatures and the trail’s design can turn the route dangerous, officials and experts said, because hikers descend into hotter terrain and face the hardest climb out when already depleted.
The park warns against attempting the South Rim-to-river-and-back trip as a summer day hike, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and has recorded other suspected heat deaths in 2023 and 2021.