[Awclist] Grand Canyon News -- safe to read

[David Yeamans]

Non-political, non-advertising.
dy




Park Rangers to Recover Body of a Female Hiker from Within Grand
Canyon
     National Park

     Grand Canyon, Ariz. ­ Park Rangers from Grand Canyon National
Park are
     in the process of extracting the body of a female hiker located in a
     remote section of the canyon near the junction of Tonto Trail and
Ruby
     Canyon.  The National Park Service received a call from a commercial
     river trip just after noon today via satellite phone.  The caller
     indicated that hikers had flagged them down to report a fatality
in the
     inner canyon.

     Park Rangers responded by helicopter early this afternoon and
found the
     body of a woman, believed to be in her mid-fifty’s.   A total of six
     people were in the group hiking in the inner canyon, when one began
     having difficulties earlier in the week.   Early indications are
that
     she may have suffered a heat-related death as early as Tuesday.
Three
     members in the group stayed with the body, while two others began to
     hike out to seek help.  Another hiking party encountered the
group that
     stayed with the body, and after learning of the woman’s death, they
     hiked down to the river where they were able to flag down a passing
     river trip.  The three hikers that stayed with the body were
flown out
     by helicopter early this afternoon. The other two are still
hiking out
     and are expected out later today.

     The woman’s body will be turned over to the Coconino County Medical
     Examiner’s Office in Flagstaff, Arizona once it has been
extracted from
     the inner canyon.  The National Park Service is conducting an
     investigation.

     The woman’s name is being held pending notification of next of kin.

                                      -NPS-

Maureen Oltrogge