80-Year-Old Man Dies After Boat Capsizes in Colorado River at Grand Canyon

An 80-year-old man visiting Grand Canyon National Park tragically died after his boat capsized in the Colorado River, according to park authorities. The incident occurred on Sunday at approximately 3:40 p.m. near Fossil Rapid.

Emergency responders received an alert via satellite phone about the situation, indicating that the man had entered the river after the boat flipped and was receiving CPR. Despite the immediate efforts of his companions and park rangers who were airlifted to the scene, all attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful, as stated in a news release from the National Park Service. The identity of the victim has not yet been disclosed, and an investigation into his death is ongoing by the park service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner.

This incident marks at least the fourth fatality at the park this month alone, according to recent announcements. Earlier on the same day, at 11:30 a.m., the body of 33-year-old Chenoa Nickerson from Gilbert, Arizona, was discovered by a commercial river tour in the Colorado River. Nickerson had been reported missing after a flash flood swept through Havasu Canyon on August 22, and her body was located nearly 20 miles from that area.

On August 6, a search team found the body of 20-year-old Leticia A. Castillo from Albuquerque, New Mexico, 150 feet below the rim of Twin Overlooks along Desert View Drive. She was believed to have entered the Grand Canyon around August 3, but the exact circumstances of her death remain unclear.

Earlier, on August 1, an unnamed man lost his life while attempting a BASE jump from Yavapai Point on the South Rim. His body was recovered 500 feet below the rim alongside a deployed parachute, as authorities reported.