Man falls 4,000 feet to his death from Grand Canyon Skywalk
Officials in Arizona said a man fell to his death from a 4,000-foot popular tourist spot on the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
The unidentified 33-year-old man was spotted walking the skywalk at Grand Canyon West before being caught about 9 a.m. June 5, stepping over the rim and falling into the canyon below, officials said. and Mohave County Sheriff’s Department of EMS with a Facebook post.
Opened in 2007, the Skywalk features a vertical drop of between 500 and 800 feet (244 m).
It is a glass walkway that juts out about 70 feet over the canyon overlooking the Colorado River.
“Two short-range technicians (rope specialists) responded with a Kingman DPS Ranger helicopter to the scene and determined the man was deceased,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Authorities responded to reports that someone had jumped over the edge of the horseshoe-shaped Skywalk glass bridge, which juts 70 feet over the canyon rim.
They added that the man was taken to the command post and turned over to the Hualapai Nation, a federally recognized Native American tribe in northwestern Arizona.
Officials are investigating the incident, the sheriff’s office said in the social media post.
The popular excursion destination Skywalk is outside of the Grand Canyon National Park in the western part of the Grand Canyon. It is managed by the Hualapai tribe and has seen more than 10 million visitors since 2007.
Although it’s not immediately clear if the death was an accident, the sheriff’s office added a suicide prevention phone number on social media.
“If you or anyone needs assistance, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255),” it said.
Fatalities are relatively rare in the Grand Canyon, which was visited by more than 6 million people in 2018.
On average, there are about 12 deaths annually in the park.
According to a park’s visitor information website, deaths from heat or dehydration are more common than falls from the canyon rim.
However, the website notes that falls are “still a high frequency.”
In 2019, a 28-year-old man jumped from the Skywalk and fell several hundred feet to his death, officials said.
If you experience feelings of need or are struggling with this, you can speak to The Samaritans confidentially on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org or visit them Samaritan Check the website for details of the nearest branch.
If you are a US resident and you or someone you know is in need of psychological help right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are in another country, you can go there www.befrienders.org to find a hotline near you.
