The body of a missing boater was discovered Tuesday in Grand Canyon National Park, marking the 16th fatality at the renowned tourist site this year.
The newest death believed to be that of a lost 71-year-old man who was on a private boat tour when others discovered he had vanished without his cap and water bottle, according to park spokeswoman Joelle Baird. The group contacted the park’s communications centre late Monday and reported his absence near Lower Nankoweap Camp, roughly 53 kilometres from where the trek began.
On Tuesday, park authorities used a helicopter to locate the body around 10 miles downstream. The individual’s name and hometown were not immediately revealed.
The National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office are looking into the tragedy. They’re also investigating the death of a 59-year-old Colorado man who was discovered dead on a rafting excursion down the Colorado River over the weekend.
According to Baird, the park averages 10-15 deaths every year. This year’s causes of death include drowning, falls, natural causes, and heart attacks. Some of the causes have yet to be discovered, she said.
Last month, a 20-year-old guy from North Carolina plunged from the park’s South Rim. The next day, a 43-year-old Missouri man died while attempting to base jump from Yavapai Point.
In the same month, a 20-year-old New Mexico woman was discovered below Twin Overlooks, while a 33-year-old woman from Gilbert, Arizona drowned in the Colorado River while hiking in a neighbouring canyon.
An 80-year-old man on a commercial river trip died after falling from a boat at Fossil Rapid, while a 60-year-old North Carolina man on a solo backpacking trip was discovered dead near a remote route along the Colorado River.
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