Grand Canyon tourist dies on hiking trail as bystanders rush to help, rangers say

A Grand Canyon tourist died on the park’s most popular hiking trail as bystanders rushed to help, rangers said.

Melanie Goodine, 41, was visiting the Grand Canyon on Thursday, June 2, from Ottawa, Ontario, the National Park Service said. Park rangers received a report of a “hiker in distress” on the Bright Angel Trail.

The trail is the park’s most popular and weaves into the canyon. It’s considered “fairly easy” to walk down, but the hike back up the canyon is more difficult, park officials said.

Goodine was near the Three-Mile Resthouse when she “became unresponsive,” park officials said. Goodine was hiking out of the canyon after she made it to the Colorado River at the bottom earlier that day.

Bystanders rushed to help her and started CPR before rescuers arrived.

“National Park Service (NPS) search and rescue personnel responded and assisted with resuscitation efforts,” officials said in a June 3 news release. “All attempts to resuscitate the individual were unsuccessful.”

The National Park Service is investigating the incident. Officials did not disclose a cause of death.

“All visitors to the Grand Canyon should ensure they are drinking plenty of fluids, resting in shade during the heat of the day, watching for signs of distress in traveling companions, and dressing appropriately for the weather,” park rangers said. “The NPS does not recommend hiking from the rim to the river and back in one day.”

Grand Canyon officials have recently seen a significant increase in search and rescue operations. There were 411 incidents last year, which was more than the park had seen in at least 20 years, according to the National Park Service.

In April, a 34-year-old Grand Canyon camper plunged 20 feet to her death while on a river trip, officials said.

A month earlier, a Colorado woman died on the ninth day of a boating trip through the canyon, officials said. Members of her boating group pulled her from the water and began CPR.

Last year, multiple hikers died in extreme heat in the Grand Canyon. Park rangers said there are ways to still hike and stay safe in brutal temperatures, including:

• Carry and drink plenty of water and plan to replenish electrolytes
• Eat twice as much food as normal and have salty foods on hand
• Carry a first-aid kit
• Pack essentials only
• Bring a flashlight with spare batteries to hike during the cool evening
• Spray yourself with water to cool down
• Have a hat and sunscreen as protection from the sun
• Have a whistle or signal for emergency use
• Wear waterproof clothing

This story was originally published June 6, 2022 at 6:24 AM with the headline "Grand Canyon tourist dies on hiking trail as bystanders rush to help, rangers say."