Woman found dead in Grand Canyon after multi-day search

A 20-year old woman was found dead in the Grand Canyon following a multi-day search.

In a statement , the National Park Service (NPS) announced that it had located a body below Twin Overlooks along Desert View Drive on Tuesday. The body was transported to the rim and transferred to the Coconino county medical examiner’s office.

The individual has been identified as 20-year old Leticia A Castillo of Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to officials, Castillo was believed to have entered the Grand Canyon on or around 3 August. An investigation is currently underway by the National Park Service and the medical examiner’s office.

The discovery of Castillo’s body marks the third reported death in the Grand Canyon since 31 July, according to the National Park Service.

On 31 July, park rangers recovered the body of 20-year old Abel Joseph Mejia of Hickory, North Carolina, who fell from the rim approximately a quarter of a mile west of Pipe Creek Overlook.

Mejia was near the edge of the rim when he accidentally fell, park officials said, adding that visitors should always keep a safe distance of at least 6ft from the edge of the rim and stay behind railings and fences at overlooks.

A day later, the Grand Canyon regional communications center received a report of a visitor who had attempted a base jump from Yavapai Point on the park’s south rim. Park rangers responded and located the body of a deceased male approximately 500ft below the rim, along with a deployed parachute, the park said.

The victim was identified as 43-year old Justin Guthrie of St Anne, Missouri, according to reports.

In a statement released following Guthrie’s death, the NPS warned that base jumping is a “high-risk activity” and is prohibited in all areas of the Grand Canyon.