Arizona visitor who fell to death at Grand Canyon identified

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. — Authorities have identified an Arizona woman who died after falling over the edge of the South Rim at Grand Canyon National Park.

Park officials say 69-year-old Cynthia Ackley fell about 200 feet Tuesday afternoon. She lived in the Phoenix suburb of Peoria.

It was the second over-the-edge death this month within the confines of the national park.

Park rangers got a call around 1 p.m. Tuesday about a visitor who needed help west of a popular overlook called Pipe Creek Vista. But authorities say Ackley fell before rescuers could get to the scene.

The National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner are investigating the death.

At least six people have died this year within Grand Canyon National Park. The park recorded 17 deaths in 2018.