Grand Canyon hikers scream as woman plunges 100ft to her death while taking photos with family
HORRIFIED Grand Canyon hikers screamed in horror as they watched a woman fatally plunge 100 feet while taking family photos, a new video shows. The footage reportedly captured tourists in Arizona screaming, wailing, and crying out “no!” as they reacted to Maria Andrea Salgado Lopez tumbling to her death on July 3. Many of them […]
HORRIFIED Grand Canyon hikers screamed in horror as they watched a woman fatally plunge 100 feet while taking family photos, a new video shows.
The footage reportedly captured tourists in Arizona screaming, wailing, and crying out “no!” as they reacted to Maria Andrea Salgado Lopez tumbling to her death on July 3.
Many of them frantically called for help, according to KNXV.
Someone in the background of the video can be heard saying: “That’s why you don’t go down there. That’s why there is no trail down there.”
The 59-year old had been hiking off-trail and taking photos near Mather Point in Phoenix when she fell at 12:35 pm, Grand Canyon National Park rangers said in a release on July 4.
Lopez fell after accidentally stepping off the edge while snapping pictures with her family, according to park rangers.
Rescuers discovered her body 100 feet below the rim of Mather Point.
“I saw people out in that area start to hug each other, trying to comfort each other and shield them from what they were seeing,” Miriam Weiner told KNXV.
“So that told me, this is really bad.”
Weiner, who took a video of the aftermath, was visiting the popular attraction with her daughter for the first time when they witnessed the frightful accident, the news station reported.
“It’s really sad to go out there and think you’re just going for a vacation and sightseeing, and you come back without your mom or your wife,” she said.
The National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office launched an investigation into Lopez’s death on Sunday.
“Grand Canyon National Park staff encourage all visitors to have a safe visit this holiday weekend by staying on designated trails and walkways, always keeping a safe distance from the edge of the rim, and staying behind railings and fences at overlooks,” the NPS recommended.
Miguel Salgado, Lopez’s son, has set up a GoFundMe account for his mom to pay for funeral costs.
Lopez is survived by her two sons, her daughter, and her husband, according to the fundraiser description written by Miguel.
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Despite its striking natural beauty, the Grand Canyon has had its share of ugly accidents.
Californian Catherine Houe, 49, died of heat-related illness while hiking at the Canyon last month, The Arizona Republic reported.
At least three people plunged to their deaths at the site in 2019, and another 17 visitors died the years before that, according to CBS News.
