Rangers at the Grand Canyon discovered the body of a missing man earlier this week, making it the third death at the national park since July 31, officials said Thursday.
Leticia Castillo, 20, of Albuquerque, was found dead Tuesday 150 feet below an overlook on the canyon’s South Rim, according to a news release from the National Park Service.
According to the agency, Castillo is thought to have visited the park on August 3. The park service and local medical examiner’s office are investigating the fatality, and more information was not immediately available, according to the release.
On August 2, the body of a BASE jumper — an extreme activity that involves jumping from fixed things such as bridges, cliffs, and buildings with a parachute — was discovered 500 feet below Yavapai Point, also on the park’s south rim.
BASE jumping is not permitted at the Grand Canyon, according to the park service. It has also been generally outlawed throughout the national park system, according to an agency official in a document sent earlier this year.
According to the official, the memo came amid growing interest in the sport, and he gave instructions stating that BASE jumping may be permitted within the system if considered to be an “appropriate activity.”
According to Grand Canyon spokesperson Joëlle Baird, the deadly jump on Aug. 1 occurred when the man’s parachute parted from him. It was discovered on a cliff wall 200 feet above his body.
On July 31, Abel Mejia, an Indiana college student, died after falling along an overlook on the park’s South Entrance Road. His body was found the following day.
Baird said Thursday that an investigation into Mejia’s death is still ongoing, and no new information was given.
According to Baird, the summer months provide tough conditions at the park, including high heat and increasing visitor activity, which has increased the frequency of deadly accidents and fatalities.
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Between 2014 and 2023, there were approximately 17 deaths per year at the park. The park has seen 11 deaths since January, three of which have occurred since July 31, according to Baird.
According to National Park Service data on mortality in the park from 2014 to 2019, hiking was the most risky recreational activity, accounting for 18 fatalities.
Since 2019, the Grand Canyon has had between 2 million and 5 million visitors every year, according to park data.
Last year, an NBC News investigation discovered that Washington state’s North Cascades, a seldom visited national park popular with alpine climbers, had the highest fatality rate in the country.