GRAND CANYON (KTNV) — A Virginia man has died after attempting a rim-to-rim hike at Grand Canyon National Park.
According to the National Park Service, rangers received a call on Saturday afternoon at 1:55 p.m. with callers reporting a hiker was in distress. This was on the North Kaibab Trail, about one mile south of Cottonwood Campground.
Bystanders started CPR whenever the hiker, later identified as 55-year-old Ranjith Varma, became unresponsive.
Rangers said search and rescue personnel responded to the call via helicopter and that specialized helicopter maneuvers had to be used in order to reach the victim.
Despite their best efforts, rangers were unable to revive Varma.
According to rangers, Varma was attempting to hike from the South Rim to the North Rim in a single day.
National Park Service officials want to remind the public that some parts of that trail can be over 120 degrees in the shade and strongly advise people to avoid hiking in the inner canyon between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. due to the heat.
They add efforts to assist hikers may be delayed in the summer due to limited staff, the number of rescue calls, employee safety requirements, and limited helicopter flying capability during periods of extreme heat or inclement weather.
