Community News

NPS News Release: Hiker Who Died on Bright Angel Trail Identified

June 25, 2015

 Grand Canyon, Ariz. – A man who died while hiking the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park has been identified as 36-year-old Takayuki Fujiwara of Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, Japan.

At approximately 3:45 pm on Thursday, June 18, hikers reported to a park ranger near Indian Garden on the Bright Angel Trail that a member of their party needed help. The ranger responded down the trail to a location known as the Devil’s Corkscrew. When the ranger arrived, more members of the party said they had attempted resuscitation efforts, but Mr. Fujiwara had not had a pulse for about two hours.

The hiking group was on its way back up the Bright Angel Trail after hiking down to the Colorado River. The temperature on the trail Thursday was in excess of 110 degrees and the National Weather Service had issued an excessive heat warning for Grand Canyon National Park.

An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the National Park Service in coordination with the Coconino County Medical Examiner. No additional information is available at this time.