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Hiker found dead after camping at the bottom of the Grand Canyon

A hiker was found dead after spending the night at a campsite in Arizona’s Grand Canyon, officials said.

The 41-year-old man was hiking out of the canyon after spending the night at Bright Angel Campground near Phantom Ranch, the National Park Service said in a news release.

According to the park service, the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report around 6:45 a.m. on Father’s Day (Sunday) that a hiker was unresponsive on the Bright Angel Trail, the canyon’s most popular hiking trail.

While the trail down into the inner canyon is considered easy, the return trip up and out of the canyon is far more difficult, requires more strength and can take twice as long as the descent, according to the National Park Service.

The hiker was found about half a mile east of the Pipe Creek River Resthouse. The cause of death is unclear.

Bystanders and National Park Service employees attempted to resuscitate the person, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

The 41-year-old man was found on the Bright Angel Trail
The 41-year-old man was found on the Bright Angel Trail (NPS Photo/J. Baird)

The National Park Service is conducting an investigation with the Coconino County Coroner. The service said no additional information on this incident is available at this time.

The death occurred a month after the body of a man who had traveled down the Colorado River on a wooden raft was found in Grand Canyon National Park.

Thomas Robinson, 58, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, was found dead on May 10. He was believed to have attempted to travel down the Colorado River on a wooden raft with his dog, the National Park Service said last month.