According to a press release by the National Park Service (NPS), they received a call from a concerned family regarding a backpacker who had missed a scheduled check-in. The hiker, whose name was not released, was reported as an experienced, 60-year-old hiker from North Carolina who had set out on the Thunder River/Deer Creek loop.
The NPS personnel began searching for the missing hiker, ultimately locating him deceased the next morning on August 28. The incident is under investigation by the NPS at this time, and no further details have yet been released. Carolinas News station WBTV, reporting on the individual’s death, reports, “Based on other NPS news releases, the North Carolina man is at least the fifth person to die at the Grand Canyon in August.”
Between high heat and monsoon season rainfall, officials are warning travelers that this is an especially dangerous time to be in the canyons. Previous reports from the NPS speculate that the recent increase in fatalities could have a number of causes, including severe weather conditions, increased numbers of inexperienced hikers and overall increases in visitor numbers.
