65-year-old hiker found dead on Grand Canyon's Bright Angel Trail in Arizona

National Park Service officials said a 65-year-old man is dead after being found unresponsive on a Grand Canyon trail on Thursday afternoon.

The hiker later identified as James Handschy of Oracle, Arizona, was found dead before rescuers and a helicopter unit could reach him.

At about 1:30 p.m. Thursday, the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received an emergency alert from a personal locator beacon, a consumer device that can send a distress signal to rescuers.

The alert came from the popular Bright Angel Trail and was approximately one and a half miles north of the Havasupai Gardens, according to the National Park Service.

Handschy was reported to be unresponsive, and the National Park Service sent a rescuer on foot from the Havasupai Gardens.

National Park Service officials believed Handschy was attempting to hike from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River at the bottom and then back up.

The National Park Service was investigating the death alongside the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office.

The National Park Service couldn't provide any further details about the death.

The Bright Angel Trail where Handschy was found dead was described by the National Park Service as a "maintained dirt trail" that had many steep portions that could easily mislead hikers on the way down.

The National Park Service recommends "hiking smart" by properly planning your hike before it starts, balance food and water intake, go slow and take many breaks, and avoid hiking in the hot portions of the day.

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The National Park Service said an average of 250 people are rescued each year from the Grand Canyon.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 65-year-old man found dead on Grand Canyon's Bright Angel Trail