A 59-year-old Colorado man was found dead in Arizona's popular Grand Canyon National Park over the weekend.
According to Fox News, Patrick Horton, who lived in Salida, Colorado, was the man who died on the 10th day of a non-commercial river trip along the Colorado River. Reports of the deceased were first made to the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center by members of his party. Apparently, Horton was found near Ponhco's Kitchen, which is a restaurant along the Colorado River. The call was made around 5:30 in the morning, and no cause of death has yet t0 have been reported.
Horton's death marks the 7th in the last month at Grand Canyon National Park. Moreover, Horton's death was the 14th confirmed within the park so far this year. Such suggests that this year may be a more deadly year at the park than usual. Officials reported 11 fatalities in the park all of 2023. Likewise, park officials stated that 10 to 15 deaths are usually expected in the park any given year.
Another Death is Confirmed at Grand Canyon National Park
Patrick Horton is not the only person to recently die on a trip along the Colorado River. On August 20th, an 80-year-old man fell out of his boat during a commercial trip, near Fossil Rapid, and drowned. Similarly, a 33-year-old woman was swept away in flash floods that developed during her hike was found deceased on August 22nd.
Earlier in August, on the 8th, a 20-year-old woman was deceased below Twin Overlooks. On August 1st, a 43-year-old Missouri man died while attempting a prohibited BASE jump from Yavapai Point. And just one day earlier, on July 31st, a 20-year-old North Carolina man fell to his death at South Rim.
As has been the case all summer, trips to America's beautiful National Parks have turned dangerous in the blink of an eye. In the tragic cases laid out in this article, the dangers even resulted in unfortunate deaths.
The lesson to be learned is always the same. Day trips and excursions in new environments must be taken seriously. Abrupt changes in weather and landscape can turn a fun afternoon into a tragic accident.
