An 18-year-old man on a daylong hike at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona died after experiencing “heat-related symptoms” as temperatures spiked beyond 100 degrees in some parts of the canyon, the National Park Service said on Saturday.
The authorities received reports on Wednesday afternoon of a man in need of help on a popular hike, the Bright Angel Trail, the service said in a news release.
The man was ascending the trail with his father. They had hiked about 15 miles when the father asked other hikers for their satellite phones to call for help, said Joelle Baird, a public affairs officer with Grand Canyon National Park.
“This individual was exerting themselves in the hottest time of the day,” she said.
The high temperature for the day at Phantom Ranch, at an elevation of nearly 2,500 feet, reached 106 degrees, Ms. Baird said, adding that the ranch is the nearest weather station with readings recorded at that elevation.
A park ranger at Havasupai Gardens was alerted and rangers found the hiker about 30 feet below the trail in a remote area near Garden Creek.
“Despite rapid response efforts by park rangers and a coordinated helicopter rescue operation, lifesaving measures were unsuccessful,” the service said.
The hiker’s identity has not been publicly released.
The Park Service described the Bright Angel Trail, which in total covers nearly 20 miles, as a “blessing or a curse.” The entire hike can take six to nine hours, the Park Service said. The service recommends consulting a park ranger before heading on the trail leading to the Colorado River.
It said destinations below Havasupai Gardens in the park are not recommended as day hikes because of the long distance, extreme temperature changes and an approximately 5,000-foot elevation change.
Hikers face an easy walk descending into the canyon but the return path “requires much more effort,” the Park Service said.
“Wide views of the inner canyon and distant formations often distract hikers from just how far down the trail they’ve walked,” the service said. “The return hike back up and out of the canyon is far more difficult and requires much more effort. Plan for at least twice as much time back up as it took to go down.”
Ms. Baird said hiking in the park can be deceptive. The Grand Canyon’s dark bottom absorbs heat and becomes considerably hotter than temperatures in the forecast, she said.
She recommended refraining from hiking from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sam Van Wetter, an emergency medical technician and private boating guide along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, said many people start their descent to the river before the sun rises to avoid the punishing heat.
A person experiencing heat-related stress may appear tired and sweaty, but may not recognize deadly symptoms until their body falls into a state of shock, Mr. Van Wetter said.
Last year, 11 people died at Grand Canyon National Park, according to the Park Service.
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