At least 16 people have died in Arizona's Grand Canyon this year, including the body of a 71-year-old man whose body was recently discovered in the famed national park this week.
Causes of death range from boating accidents to drowning in flash floods.
In August alone, five people visiting the canyon were reported to have died, including: One Man The other two attempted a dangerous and illegal base jump on the canyon's South Rim. Visitor dies Apparent Drowning. The fourth person is Found dead After entering the park on a solo backpacking trip. The fifth body Recovered After several days of searching by park officials, he was found 150 feet down the canyon ridge.
Approximately 5 million people visit this large, mile-deep canyon each year to experience hiking, boating, camping, etc. According to park data, the average number of deaths in the canyon over a 10-year period is 17. The most common cause of death is cardiac arrest.
Megan Smith, the park's preventative search and rescue coordinator, warned against a doomsday reading of the events in the canyon, calling the August deaths an “extraordinary event.”
“Any time we have monsoon weather or extreme heat, we expect a series of disasters to occur. We don't expect anything like what you saw about a month ago, where there were three cliff falls in a row involving technical rescue teams,” she said.
This year has seen a series of extreme weather events, resulting in many deaths. For example, a 57-year-old woman died in July. Found dead The incident occurred at the park during a heatwave, with park rangers previously putting up signs warning visitors that temperatures could soar to 120 degrees Fahrenheit during peak daytime hours.
Climate change is a major factor in causing extreme weather events around the world, including heat waves and flash floods that have affected the park as much as the rest of the U.S. But Smith is cautious about directly linking the deaths at the park to environmental changes.
“This was a tough environment and we want to go back through the decades and understand the collective history of this place,” Smith said.
“One of the changes that can be linked to climate change is the water levels on the Colorado River and the levels of water released from the dams, which has changed dramatically over the years,” she said.
“So the lake levels have dropped significantly, the water coming out of the lake has dropped, the river levels have dropped, and we've also seen an increase in accidents and incidents on the river that we didn't see before.”
That includes the death of a 33-year-old Arizona woman whose body was found in floodwaters along the Colorado River in August. Two more bodies were found along the river last week.
Smith said staff retention at the park has declined in recent years, making intense periods like this extremely difficult for her and her small team.
How visitors can stay safe
Smith said there are many things visitors can do to keep themselves safe.
“Planning and preparation are really important. When we go on vacation, a lot of times we think about what we're going to do for fun, what we're going to eat, but when we talk about recreational activities in the valley, we're asking people to self-assess,” Smith said.
More than 250 people are rescued from the Grand Canyon each year. data They have been banned from the park, and because of the potential danger, all visitors should have a “Plan B” in case of the unexpected, she said.
“We want climbers to pack extra food and water, bring medications in case they have to spend an unplanned night, and bring plenty of light beyond just the flashlight on their phone,” she said. “Dress up in layers, especially this time of year. It's really hot at the bottom of the canyon and really cold on the rim of the canyon. Check yourself along the way and make sure you're not doing more than you can handle.”
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