Man dies after driving over edge of Grand Canyon hiking trail

A Colorado man found dead in his vehicle drove “over the rim” of a hiking trail in the Grand Canyon National Park on Sunday (7 September).

The Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center said it received reports that a vehicle had “gone over” near the South Kaibab Trailhead, a popular hiking trail, at around 12.40pm local time.

The body of Steven Bradley, 27, from Federal Heights, Colorado, the “single occupant” of the vehicle, was recovered by search and rescue responders shortly after.

The Grand Canyon National Park Service (NPS) said that park rangers responded to the scene about “300 feet below the rim” in a statement.

It added that the body was transported out by helicopter before being transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Grand Canyon NPS said: “An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the National Park Service in coordination with the Coconino County Medical Examiner. No additional information is available at this time.”

It is not the first person to die near the trail in the Arizona National Park this year.

In July, a 67-year-old man died while hiking in the Grand Canyon, according to the NPS, as the region faced punishing extreme heat.

The hiker, who was from Alvarado, Texas, was attempting to reach the Colorado River and stay overnight at Phantom Ranch, a lodging stop on a popular 15-mile round trip route that typically takes two days of hiking.

Around 11.50am, officials received a call that the hiker had been found unresponsive on the South Kaibab Trail, the same place where a different Texas man died last July, trying to reach Phantom Ranch.

Park officials said the man’s death was a reminder of the risks of hiking in extreme summer heat in the canyon.

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