Tragedy struck at the Grand Canyon National Park last week when the body of a 20-year-old hiker was discovered – the third such incident in the space of only a week.
A press release issued by the National Park Service described how a rescue team recovered the body of Leticia A. Castillo, a 20-year-old Albuquerque, New Mexico resident who went missing on August 3. The body was discovered on Tuesday, August 6, roughly 150 feet below the Canyon’s Twin Overlooks after several days of searching.
The press release described how an investigation into the incident is ongoing and that it is a joint effort by both the National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner.
“Since July 31, the Grand Canyon Search and Rescue team has handled three technical rescue recoveries,” the statement continues. “Despite facing inclement weather and hazardous terrain, the team has undertaken significant risks to complete these missions.”
Earlier this month, a BASE jumper died after attempting a jump from the Yavapai Point of the South Rim of the park. At roughly 7:30 am on August 1, the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center was made aware of a man who had attempted a BASE jump with a parachute. The parachute appeared to deploy during the jump, but the man still appeared to strike rocks during his fall and died as a result.
“Park rangers responded and located the body of a deceased male approximately 500 feet below the rim, along with a deployed parachute,” a press release explained.
The Grand Canyon, which has an average depth of roughly one mile, receives between five and six million visitors every year. In 2019, the park recorded 5.97 million visitors, though that number plummeted during the pandemic, with roughly half visiting the park in 2020.
Travelers come from all over the world to see the huge canyon.
