Man Dies In Rafting Accident On Colorado River

A call came into the park around 4 p.m. on March 17th reporting CPR in progress on a man who’d gone into the water in Hance Rapid when the raft he’d been on flipped over. He’d reportedly been in the water for several minutes before he was pulled out by other members of his group. Although CPR was begun immediately, efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. Rangers were unable to reach the party that night due to weather and terrain, so the group continued down the river to Phantom Ranch and met rangers there. The man’s body was flown out of the canyon and taken to the helibase on the South Rim, then transported to the county medical examiner in Flagstaff. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.