20-Year-Old Man Falls to Death at Grand Canyon

Abel Joseph Mejia, a 20-year-old college student from Hickory, North Carolina, died after falling 400 feet from the rim at Grand Canyon National Park near the Pipe Creek Vista on July 31. Mejia was reportedly near the edge of the rim when he accidentally fell. His body was found a quarter of a mile from the overlook and recovered by park rangers. The incident is being investigated by the National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office. Park officials urge visitors to stay on designated trails and maintain a safe distance of at least six feet from the edge. Mejia's death marks the fourth fatality at the Grand Canyon in the last three months.