A 60-year-old North Carolina man was found dead Wednesday after going on a solo hike in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, park officials said.
The National Park Service (NPS) said the backpacker, whose name has not been released, was found on a rugged, remote trail along the Colorado River between Lower Tapeats Camp and Deer Creek Camp.
He set out alone on a multi-day backpacking trip from Thunder River to Deer Creek and was reported missing Tuesday after failing to contact his family, according to the National Park Service.
The NPS and the Coconino County Coroner are investigating the incident, and further details are currently unavailable.
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The body of a 60-year-old North Carolina man was discovered in Grand Canyon National Park after setting off on the Thunder River Trail's Deer Creek Loop on Wednesday. (NPS photo/M. Graden, file)
The hiker is believed to be the sixth person to die in the park within a month and the 14th so far this year. Park officials have reported 11 deaths in 2023, and say there are typically around 10 to 15 deaths per year.
The Thunder River Trail in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, leads hikers along Tapeats Creek, as seen in the photo above. (NPS photo/E. Foss, file)
The deaths so far include an 80-year-old man who died last Sunday after falling from a boat into the river near Fossil Rapids while commercially rafting, according to authorities, and a 33-year-old woman who was swept away by flash flooding while hiking on Aug. 22 and was discovered the same day.
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A 20-year-old New Mexico woman was found beneath Twin Overlook on Aug. 8. A 43-year-old Missouri man died Aug. 1 while attempting a prohibited base jump from Yavapai Point. A 20-year-old North Carolina man died after falling on the South Rim on July 31.
The hiker's death is the sixth fatality in Grand Canyon National Park within a month and is believed to be the 14th fatality so far this year. (Jim Lane/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, File)
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The park's only water main suffered an unprecedented burst, forcing hotels to close the doors to guests inside the park.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
