Grand Canyon hiker dies on popular trail, only 100 feet from finishing

A man from Texas died while hiking in the Grand Canyon on Sunday, according to park officials.

About 2 p.m., the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report of an unresponsive hiker on the Bright Angel Trail, approximately 100 feet below the Bright Angel Trailhead.

Bystanders initiated CPR as Xanterra Fire and Security and National Park Service medical personnel responded from the rim.

All attempts to resuscitate the individual were unsuccessful.

The hiker was a 50-year-old-male from San Angelo Texas, who was attempting to reach the rim from an overnight stay at Havasupai Gardens.

An investigation is being conducted by the NPS in coordination with the Coconino County Medical Examiner.

An excessive heat warning continues for northern Arizona through 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

People are urged to use caution outdoors during the peak heat hours between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Record-breaking temperatures are possible, with South Rim high temperatures reaching 95.

A 41-year-old hiker died June 16 on Bright Angel Trail, about a half-mile east of the Pipe Creek River Resthouse, according to the National Park Service. And a 69-year-old man from Texas died at the bottom of the canyon on June 29.

Deaths in 2023

— In November, a 65-year-old Arizona hiker died on the Bright Angel Trail, about 1.5 miles north of Havasupai Gardens.

— In September, a 55-year-old Virginia man died in the Grand Canyon while trying to hike from the South Rim to the North Rim.

— In July, a 57-year-old woman died while on an eight-mile hike in triple-digit heat.

— In May, an Indiana woman died on the Bright Angel Trail.

Hiking at the Grand Canyon can be deceiving. The temperature at the South Rim, where 90% of all visitors go, is about 20 degrees cooler than at the bottom. The temperature at Phantom Ranch along the Colorado River can top 110 degrees in the summer.