Death of man at Grand Canyon Skywalk ruled a suicide

Fernando Cervantes Jr., Arizona Republic
·2 min read

The death of a man in the Grand Canyon was ruled a suicide after he fell 4,000 feet from a viewing platform.

The incident happened on June 5 at about 9 a.m. at the Grand Canyon Skywalk. The man was only identified as a 33-year-old by the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office.

According to a representative from Grand Canyon Resort Corporation, the company that administers the Skywalk, the incident was ruled a suicide by the Hualapai Police Department.

The Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge, extends 70 feet away from the canyon walls and allows viewers to look directly into the Colorado River 4,000 feet below.

In the wake of the death, the Grand Canyon Resort Corporation is reviewing its safety policies, said Lea Cooper, the resort's marketing director.

“The safety of our guests is of utmost importance. We currently have in place on-the-ground monitoring as well video surveillance around the Skywalk itself and in other areas of Grand Canyon West,” Cooper said in an email. “The Grand Canyon Resort Corporation is constantly reviewing policies and procedures to make sure all of our guests are safe while visiting.”

According to statistics from Joëlle Baird, public affairs specialist at Grand Canyon National Park, in 2022, 11 deaths occurred at the park, with one of them being a suicide.

What we know: Man falls 4,000 feet to his death in Grand Canyon. Here's how to stay safe

“It's definitely tricky here for Grand Canyon. We have probably close to 40 miles of the rim of the canyon, so we don't have targeted messaging at certain viewpoints for suicide prevention,” Baird said. “We have rangers responding 24/7 to people who might be in crisis.”

The man's body was recovered and taken to the Hualapai Nation for further investigation.

Crisis hotlines for Arizona residents

Services for Arizona residents in crisis include:

  • Dial 211 at any time to reach the free 211 Arizona information and referral service and connect with free resources available locally throughout the state.

  • Solari Crisis & Human Services offers a free, statewide crisis line 24/7/365 — dial 844-534-HOPE (4673). Help is also available 24/7/365 via text by texting “hope” to 4HOPE (4673).

  • Dial 988 to reach the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Help is available in English and Spanish. It's free and confidential for those in distress who need prevention or crisis resources for themselves or loved ones.

  • La Frontera Empact Suicide Prevention Center's crisis line serves Maricopa and Pinal counties 24/7 at 480-784-1500.

  • Teen Lifeline’s 24/7 crisis line serves teens at 602-248-8336 for Maricopa County and 1-800-248-8336 statewide.

  • The Trevor Project Lifeline serves LGBTQ youth at 866-488-7386 or by texting START to 678-678.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Death of man at Grand Canyon Skywalk ruled a suicide