
Hiker Fatality near Cottonwood Campground along North Kaibab Trail
GRAND CANYON, Ariz.—On September 9 at approximately 1:55 p.m., the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received an emergency call of a hiker in distress on the North Kaibab Trail approximately one mile south of Cottonwood Campground. Soon thereafter the hiker became unresponsive and bystanders initiated CPR. National Park Service (NPS) search and rescue personnel responded to the call via helicopter. Given the location, specialized helicopter maneuvers were employed to allow rangers to assume care of the hiker, initiating advance life support efforts. Attempts to resuscitate the hiker were unsuccessful. The victim has been identified as 55-year-old, Ranjith Varma of Manassas, Virginia who was hiking from the South…