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Arizona man dies attempting round-trip day hike in Grand Canyon

The Bright Angel Trail below the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
NPS/Michael Quinn

Officials at Grand Canyon National Park say a hiker died Thursday on a popular trail at the South Rim.

Emergency staff were alerted around 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 16, 2023, by a personal locator beacon on the Bright Angel Trail, north of Havasupai Gardens. Authorities say rescuers found sixty-five-year-old James Handschy of Oracle, Arizona, unresponsive. Additional National Park Service search and rescue personnel responded by helicopter.

Handschy was reportedly attempting to hike from the South Rim to the Colorado River and back in one day, a popular undertaking among hikers.

An investigation is being jointly conducted by the National Park Service and Coconino County Medical Examiner.

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