Man Dies From Fall At Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon, AZ - A 57 year old man died after falling approximately 35 feet while hiking in Grand Canyon National Park, on Sunday, September 5. The man has been identified as Gordon Robert Wagner, Jr. of Michigan.

Wagner had been on a private river trip with 15 others that launched on Saturday, September 4, from Lees Ferry. After being on the river for a day and a half, he and several others from the private river trip hiked into North Canyon near river mile 20, where he slipped and fell at approximately 12:30 p.m. Other members from the private river trip immediately provided rescue breathing, but Wagner died from his injuries shortly after the fall.

A pilot from a commercial helicopter flying nearby was contacted by the private river group at approximately 3:15 p.m. The pilot contacted the National Park Service, and park rangers were dispatched to the scene where they found the body of Wagner at approximately 4:00 p.m. His body was transported by helicopter to the South Rim Helibase at Grand Canyon National Park then transported by ground to the Coconino County Medical Examiners Office in Flagstaff, Arizona.

The private river group was on an 18-day trip that was scheduled to take out at Diamond Creek on September 21.