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Third Body Recovered From Grand Canyon After 3 Reported Deaths In Less Than A Week

Grand Canyon N.P. Gets Stimulus Dollars To Re-Build Trails

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Kay Smythe News and Commentary Writer
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A third body was recovered Tuesday from the Grand Canyon National Park after two other reported deaths within the same week.

Authorities recovered the body of a woman identified by the National Park Service (NPS) as 20-year-old Leticia A. Castillo of Albuquerque, New Mexico, on August 6 near the Twin Overlooks following a multi-day search. Castillo entered the park on or around August 3 and her remains were found roughly 150 feet beneath the rim of the overlook.

Five days earlier, on August 1, NPS issued another alert after the body of Abel Joseph Mejia, also 20-years-old, was found 400 feet, roughly a quarter mile west of Pipe Creek Overlook. Mejia, originally from North Carolina, was said to have suffered an accidental fall, though his and Castillo’s bodies were transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.

A day later, NPS was forced to issue another notification after a man attempted to BASE jump from Yavapai Point on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. His body was found 500 feet below the rim with his deployed parachute.

It took roughly a day for rescue teams to reach the body, which was transferred to the same medical center. (RELATED: Foot Found Floating Inside Shoe At Yellowstone National Park)

Full investigations were launched into each of the deaths, which came within a week of each other. A total of 11 people have died at the Grand Canyon National Park thus far in 2024, NBC Washington reported. Visitors to the park should exercise extreme caution.