Buffalo Grove Man Dies After Fall At Grand Canyon

CHICAGO (CBS)--A 24-year-old Buffalo Grove man died after a fall at the Grand Canyon on July 3.

A GoFundMe page set up for Andrey Pavin says he died in Arizona while hiking at the canyon on a graduation trip. Donations had neared close to $10,000 toward a $12,000 goal as of July 9.

Friends say Andrey Privin was at the south rim of the canyon when he fell 500 feet to his death last Tuesday, according to the Arizona Republic.

Grand Canyon National Park reports an average of about 12 deaths per year. On average, two to three deaths are from falls over the rim, according to a park spokesperson.

Privin was reportedly just about to embark on his nursing career, after being hired by Highland Park Hospital as a registered nurse.

Saddened by the loss of an amazing soul," one friend wrote on Facebook. "Such a caring and outgoing personality, no one ever had one bad thing to say about you because that's just how great you were. And at work you truly cared for your patients and your co workers, no doubt in my mind that you were destined for great things but God had other plans."

The donations raised will help the family cover funeral expenses for transporting Privin's body back to Illinois, according to the GoFundMe page.