Fatality on Bright Angel Trail

© L.Brumm Photography via Flick

Along the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park, a man has died.

At approximately 6:00 p.m. yesterday, November 9, the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report of a man down on the trail. The man - 63 year old Joseph Mitchell of Clarkdale, AZ - was announced dead at the scene. Family members made the call and reported they had hiked ahead of Mitchell and when they found him he was not breathing, was unresponsive, and his head was bleeding.

While rescue personnel were dispatched to the scene, the 911 operator provided family members with instructions on how to perform CPR. Unfortunately, when park rescue personnel arrived and took over CPR, they were unable to revive Mitchell.

Mitchell's body was retrieved this morning by helicopter and transported to the South Rim helibase where he was transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner. The National Park Service is conducting an investigation into the incident.