2 Deaths In 2 Days Reported At Grand Canyon

Two men died in two separate incidents at the Grand Canyon National Park this week.

On Wednesday, 20-year-old North Carolina man Abel Joseph Mejia died after he “suffered an accidental fall,” the National Park Service said in a statement.

Mejia was at the rim near Pipe Creek Overlook in Arizona when he fell 400 feet to his death, the service said.

Mejia was representing his church on a mission trip at the time of his death, Turning Point Pentecostal Church said in a social media post. “Please keep the Mejia family in your prayers!”

On Thursday, a BASE jumper fell 500 feet to his death around 7:30 a.m. on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, according to the National Park Service.

BASE jumping, an extreme sport, refers to parachuting from buildings, antennas, spans and earth. It’s illegal to BASE jump at the park, officials said.

The man, who has not been identified, was found with his parachute deployed.

Another visitor died at the park last month. Sixty-nine-year-old Scott Sims was walking to the bottom of the canyon with his niece when he became unresponsive.

Though his cause of death wasn’t revealed, the National Park Service noted in a news release that the trail they were hiking can reach temperatures of over 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade during the summer.

Jessica Ryan, Sims’ niece, wrote on Facebook about the dangers of hiking in the national park.

“The most beautiful places are unforgiving,” she wrote. “Be prepared. Don’t underestimate nature. Hike smart.”