Tourist falls more than 4,000 feet to his death at Grand Canyon Skywalk

A tourist visiting the Grand Canyon in Arizona fell more than 4,000 feet to his death during his visit to a popular walkway in the park on June 5, Arizona authorities confirmed. 

Authorities received a report that a 33-year-old man, whose identity has not yet been released, was walking on the Skywalk at Grand Canyon West, a glass bridge that extends 70 feet out over the canyon’s edge at around 9 a.m. when he suddenly went over the edge, the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue said in a statement posted on Facebook. 

A technical rope rescue team consisting of two rope specialists responded to the call, as well as a Dept. of Public Safety Kingman Ranger helicopter, the statement continued. However, by the time they found the man’s body, they determined he was deceased. 

The man’s body was removed from the canyon and was transferred to the Hualapai Nation, an Indian tribe from northwestern Arizona that manages the Skywalk, according to the National Park Service. 

It is still unknown how the man happened to fall to his death. The sheriff’s office launched an investigation into the incident.

According to the Grand Canyon West website, the Skywalk has received more than 10 million visitors since 2007. The 10-foot wide horseshoe-shaped cantilever glass offers a clear view of the canyon floor below. 

The Grand Canyon is one of the deadliest national parks in the country, according to a recent report by the New York Post. Since 2018, at least 56 people have been reported missing in the park and six others have been found dead, according to records. However, experts believe the death toll within the 1,900-square mile park might be higher than what has been actually reported.