Officials with Grand Canyon National Park recovered the body of a 71-year-old man Tuesday who was reported missing while on a private Colorado River Trip.
The man from Morrison, Colorado, was reported missing the night prior in the area of Lower Nankoweap Camp at about river mile 53.
Park spokesperson Joëlle Baird says members of his party reported him missing after spotting personal belongings floating in an eddy on the edge of the river.
She says they don't yet know how the man ended up in the river, but he was not wearing a life jacket.
On Tuesday, park rangers searching for the man in a helicopter located his body in the Colorado River near river mile 63. That’s below both Kwagunt Rapid and 60-Mile Rapid, as well as the confluence of the river with the Little Colorado River.
The death comes just days after the body of a 59-year-old man from Salida, Colorado, was recovered from a private river trip.
Park officials say Patrick Horton was found dead by other members of the trip after he slept on his raft while the party was camped at Poncho’s Kitchen, near river mile 137 along the Colorado River.
Park officials say they are not aware of any health factors that may have led to Horton’s death.
The bodies of both individuals were transported to the Coconino Medical Examiner’s office and both incidents are under investigation.
So far, 16 known deaths have been reported this year in the canyon or on its rim.
The National Park Service says there are typically about 10 to 15 fatalities in the Grand Canyon annually, with 11 tracked in 2023.
