A 74-year-old man has died while attempting a rim-to-rim hike in Grand Canyon National Park.
Officials say last Thursday rangers responded to a report of an unresponsive hiker about a mile-and-a-half below the North Kaibab Trailhead.
Despite efforts to resuscitate him, Dennis Smith of Olympia, Wash., was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the park, he was an experienced hiker and was attempting to hike the canyon from the South to North rims.
Smith’s cause of death is under investigation by the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Park officials are urging visitors to plan for extreme heat in the coming days with highs in the inner canyon expected to reach 100 degrees by the end of the week.
They advise avoiding hiking during the hottest part of the day, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and to consult the Grand Canyon website for heat-related information before setting out.