Pipe Creek Vista, Grand Canyon: Woman Dies While Waiting For Help

A 70-year-old woman died after falling over the edge of the South Rim at the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona on Tuesday, making it the second death in less than a month at the popular tourist destination.

According to Grand Canyon officials, the park rangers responded to a call around 1 p.m. local time (4 p.m. EDT) to a report that a woman needed help near the popular overlook called Pipe Creek Vista. The unidentified visitor, however, fell to death before the officials reached the spot.

"She fell before we could undertake a rescue," said Grand Canyon spokesman John Quinley. The circumstances of the call prior to the fall remained unclear.

The visitor was walking about 200 to 300 feet (61 to 91 meters) off a trail when she fell between Mather Point and the starting point for the South Kaibab Trail. The park's helicopter and rescue team consisting of 15 people helped recover the body late Tuesday afternoon, AZ Central reported.

The death will be investigated by the Coconino County Medical Examiner and the National Park Service. The identity of the woman was withheld until her family can be notified.

The incident comes less than a month after a 67-year-old man died by falling over a rim at the park. On April 3, a bystander informed the park rangers that a man had fallen over the canyon rim. The park's helicopter and technical rescue team reached the spot and recovered the body about 400 feet (122 meters) below the rim.

“Grand Canyon National Park staff encourages all visitors to have a safe visit by staying on designated trails and walkways, always keeping a safe distance from the edge of the rim and staying behind railings and fences at overlooks,” the Grand Canyon National Park Service had said in a press release.

Two deaths occurred at the destination in March. While a tourist from Hong Kong fell to death while taking photographs on March 28, body of another visitor was found in an undeveloped area at the park’s South Rim on March 26.

According to the officials, the Grand Canyon National Park, which draws nearly 6.4 million visitors annually, witnesses 12 deaths every year, most of which are accidental falls.