https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/grand-canyon-hiker-dies-trail-during-extreme-heat-n1271786



This is a news account of a recent fatality within Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon National Park has a very active and proficient Search and Rescue operation, but outside help can only do so much. Individual actions and decisions can avert tragedies like this and render outside assistance unnecessary.

Of course, Federal legislation should be enacted, making dying within a National Park a severe criminal offense, with appropriate penalties....

Seems she was with a group of 5.

https://apnews.com/article/oh-state-wire-az-state-wire-ohio-2eeda04658c114500bc654f0de791b96

Also last paragraph, case of someone with plenty of water but ignoring electrolytes.

Very unfortunate but one out of five? Did she have some underlying condition

Based on the information in the news account, one can speculate that prominent "underlying condition" was unfamiliarity with a drastically different climate from that of Ohio, her home.

She was almost certainly not well hydrated, being unfamiliar with the demands of Arizona climate. They were planning a multiday trip, so probably plenty of weight. Did they start early enough? 4AM would not be too soon. The last time I hiked at Grand Canyon in the summer, I started at 230 AM.....

The park brochure of back country hiking gives solid, time tested guidance, but this group would not have been the first to disregard....

This is something I deal with over and over in my foraging classes. People just don't understand what it's really like out in the wild. I tell them we'll be outside for four hours, walking on dirt trails, and they need to be wearing good walking shoes, bring plenty of water, and really consider their overall health. And every class I get 2-3 people that are woefully overweight, wearing flipflops, and bringing no water. It's extremely frustrating and quite scary.
-Blast, venting frustration

You must understand that water is really, really heavy and I am not thirsty right now....

Some more details

https://eu.beaconjournal.com/story/news/...yon/5310133001/

https://news.yahoo.com/60-old-dies-during-last-172053740.html

Yet another Grand Canyon hiker fatality - much shorter trail cause of death not officially determined, but not a fall.

Why would you go to the desert in the Summer?

In Arizona, elevation above sea level determines climate. The South rim of Grand Canyon 6-7,000feet ASL is cool and pleasant during the summer. The depths of GC are lower, around 2,000 feet ASL and much warmer.

Most people do not realize that much of Arizona supports extensive pine forests, cool, pleasant, and snowy....