Teen Dies of Heat-Related Illness While Attempting Day Hike Along Grand Canyon’s Most Popular Trail

“Consult a park ranger before heading down to the Colorado River,” the National Park Service said of hiking along the Bright Angel Trail

NEED TO KNOW

• An 18-year-old hiker died of a heat-related illness in Grand Canyon National Park
• The teen was rescued by helicopter, but first responders were unable to save him
• An investigation into the incident is ongoing

A teenager has died of a heat-related illness while hiking in the Grand Canyon, officials said.

On Wednesday, June 3, around 1:40 p.m. local time, rangers with the National Park Service were dispatched to Bright Angel Trail following reports of an 18-year-old man suffering from heat-related symptoms, the National Park Service said in a statement. When the rangers arrived, they found the teen approximately 30 feet below the trail in an isolated area near Garden Creek. 

Lifesaving measures were performed and the 18-year-old was extricated by helicopter, but he did not survive, officials said.

Rangers learned that the teen was hiking along the Bright Angel Trail to go from the South Rim to the Colorado River and back in one day.

An investigation is ongoing, and the National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for additional comment. 

However, that specific day hike is not recommended by the National Park Service.

“Consult a park ranger before heading down to the Colorado River,” the agency said of traversing the Bright Angel Trail. “Destinations below Havasupai Gardens are not recommended day hikes due to the long distance, extreme temperature changes, and an approximately 5,000′ (1,500 m) elevation change each way.”

The trail is the most popular route in the park in Grand Canyon National Park, which encompasses 1,218,375 acres in Arizona. 

“Well-maintained and graded for stock, it is fairly easy to walk down,” the agency said. “This can be a blessing or a curse. Wide views of the inner canyon and distant formations often distract hikers from just how far down the trail they’ve walked.”

The National Park Service warned that the return hike out of the canyon is much more strenuous.

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“Plan for at least twice as much time back up as it took to go down,” the organization said, and warned that temperatures can reach above 100 degrees in the shade during the summer months.

The National Park Service said, “Avoid hiking between 10 am and 4 pm, the hottest times of day.”