Three elderly hikers lost their lives to apparent heat-related causes while hiking the inner trails of the Grand Canyon. The incidents occurred as temperatures in the area soared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The National Park Service reported two separate incidents involving heat-related fatalities. These incidents took place on June 12 and June 16. According to their statement, the hikers were on trails in the Inner Canyon. Temperatures in that area can reach over 109 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade during midday hours.
Emergency personnel arrived to find the hikers already deceased. On June 12, a 72-year-old man was discovered dead on the South Kaibab Trail. Park officials attributed his death to heat-related symptoms. On June 16, a 67-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman were found dead on the North Kaibab Trail.
An image provided by Robbin Goddard shows visitors at Mather Point, located in northwestern Arizona, near the South Rim trail of Grand Canyon National Park.
“In both cases, the deceased hikers were hiking trails in the Inner Canyon,” the statement from the National Park Service explained.
The Coconino County Medical Examiner’s office is currently investigating the causes of their deaths. However, initial assessments suggest heat was a contributing factor.
This tragedy follows an earlier incident in the month when a teenager died from heat-related causes. The teen attempted a round-trip day hike from the South Rim to the Colorado River. Emergency responders conducted a helicopter rescue operation and found the teenager in a secluded area, about 30 feet below the trail.
In a similar incident last year, an elderly man died while trying to reach the Colorado River for an overnight stay at Phantom Ranch, a well-known camping location.