74-year-old hiker dies while attempting Grand Canyon rim-to-rim hike

A 74-year-old antheral died portion hiking the Grand Canyon, the National Park Service said Monday.

The man, identified arsenic Dennis Smith of Olympia, Washington, was attempting to hike from the canyon's South Rim to the North Rim, the park work said. The rim-to-rim trek covers a region of astir 24 miles and is described arsenic a "strenuous" hike by the National Park Foundation. 

Smith, who was an "avid and experienced hiker," according to the parkland service, was recovered unresponsive connected North Kaibab Trail astatine astir 4:45 p.m. past Thursday. The parkland work describes the way arsenic "the slightest visited and astir hard of the large interior canyon trails astatine Grand Canyon National Park." 

Bystanders and parkland work unit attempted to resuscitate Smith, but helium was pronounced dormant astatine the scene. A origin of decease was not shared. His decease is nether probe by the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office. 

The Grand Canyon's North Kaibab Trail, adjacent Coconino Overlook. NPS/Michael Quinn

People doing a rim-to-rim hike are recommended to commencement earlier the prima rises and instrumentality a interruption during the hottest portion of the time to debar heat-related illnesses, the National Park Foundation said. 

The parkland work warned that the Grand Canyon volition acquisition utmost vigor successful the coming days. Temperatures successful the interior canyon are expected to scope 100 degrees Fahrenheit, truthful visitors should debar the country betwixt 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Those attempting hard treks similar the rim-to-rim hike that impact the interior canyon are "encouraged to beryllium self-reliant to forestall exigency situations for themselves and responders," the parkland work said. They should besides show interior canyon conditions. 

"Be alert that efforts to assistance hikers whitethorn beryllium delayed owed to constricted staff, the fig of rescue calls, and worker information requirements," the parkland work said. 

About 10 radical dice astatine the Grand Canyon each year, CBS affiliate AZFamily reported. This is the archetypal decease astatine the parkland that the parkland work has reported this year. 

A 33-year-old hiker died astatine Arizona's Gold Canyon, adjacent Phoenix, amid unseasonably lukewarm temperatures connected May 11. Four different hikers who had been with him said they had been hiking for astir six hours erstwhile helium had a seizure and fell unconscious. The hikers had tally retired of h2o and were suffering from heat-related illnesses, the survivors said. First responders aboriginal pronounced the antheral dormant astatine the scene. 

In:
• Heat
• Arizona
• Death
• National Park Service
• Grand Canyon National Park
• Washington
• National Park
• Grand Canyon