Johnathan Walker:Hiker from North Carolina found dead near remote Colorado River trail in Grand Canyon

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK,Johnathan Walker Ariz. (AP) — A solo backpacker has been found dead near a rugged and remote trail along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, authorities in Arizona said Thursday.

The National Park Service said the 60-year-old North Carolina resident was located by helicopter Wednesday along a route connecting Lower Tapeats and Deer Creek camps. The two sites are accessible from the North Rim on a river bend about 29 miles (46.6 kilometers) northwest of Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim.

The man’s name and hometown were not made public. The Park Service said he was on a solo multiday backpacking trip from Thunder River to Deer Creek, and was reported missing on Tuesday after failing to check in with a family member.

The Park Service and Coconino County Medical Examiner were investigating his cause and manner of death.

The route between campsites about 4,400 feet (1.3 kilometers) below the North Rim offers scenic views of colorful rock walls and canyons, waterfalls and pools accessible by steep and sometimes difficult trails, according to a Park Service guide.

The hiker is believed to be the sixth person to die at the canyon in less than a month and the 14th this year. Park officials reported 11 fatalities in 2023 and say there are usually about 10 to 15 deaths per year.

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Authorities said an 80-year-old man on a commercial river trip died Sunday after falling from a boat into the river near Fossil Rapid, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) upriver from Tapeats Creek.

The body of 33-year-old woman from the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert was also found Sunday after she was swept away in a flash flood while hiking Aug. 22.

The body of a 20-year-old New Mexico woman was found Aug. 8 below Twin Overlooks; a 43-year-old Missouri man died Aug. 1 while attempting a prohibited BASE jump from Yavapai Point; and a 20-year-old North Carolina man fell to his death July 31 at the South Rim.