According to ABC, authorities at Grand Canyon National Park are investigating a possible suicide . The National Park Service has identified a body below the South Rim of the Grand Canyon following a search that was initiated by a call about a man who had fallen.
The park’s Regional Communications Center received a call about a situation at the South Rim around 5:45 a.m. on Tuesday. A helicopter search was used to locate a body below the rim.
A statement released by National Park Service officials late Tuesday afternoon said a recovery would be postponed until Wednesday morning because of bad weather conditions, terrain, and safety concerns.
Grand Canyon park officials have identified the body found below South Rim as 25-year-old Alejandro Bussot. His death was the second in a week and the third this year.
Bussot was believed to have fallen about 400 feet off the South Rim. Now, officials are investigating to determine if it was a possible suicide rather than a tragic accident.
The early investigation into the death determined that the fall was an accident, but the National Park Service and Coconino County medical examiner are rethinking their decision and still investigating the case.
My Fox Orlando reported that Bussot’s death was the second in a week at the Grand Canyon. Juan Carreras-Soto, 29, fell over the edge of the rim trail east of Mather Point last Thursday. Mather Point is near the national park’s visitor center and is one of the first locations tourists stop to witness the beauty of the Grand Canyon.
“Park statistics show that nearly five million people visit the Grand Canyon each year, and an average of 12 people die there annually, including those who die due to natural causes. An average of two or three deaths per year are from falls over the rim.”
Visiting the Grand Canyon is one of the most unforgettable experiences in a traveler’s life, but tragedy struck at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona twice in just one week.
According to statistics, about a dozen people die at the Grand Canyon each year. Falls, river mishaps, and natural causes are the most common reasons for the tragic deaths.
The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and attains a depth of 6,000 feet. It is one of the most beautiful sights in the world, but it could also be dangerous if people are not careful.
Have you ever visited the Grand Canyon?
[Image via Wikipedia]
