Man jumps to his death in front of visitors at Grand Canyon Skywalk
A man jumped from the Grand Canyon on Saturday, plunging to his death in front of other visitors at the Skywalk bridge, an official said Monday.
The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. when the 28-year-old man climbed over a safety barrier and jumped, a spokesperson for Grand Canyon West said in an email to CBS News. Grand Canyon West is home to the see-through glass bridge which allows guests to get an aerial look at the canyon.
No other guests were in danger, but the Skywalk was immediately closed to the public. The body was recovered Sunday morning and an investigation is ongoing, according to the spokesperson.
"In the aftermath of Saturday's tragic suicide, our hearts are with everyone impacted: The family of the man who took his own life, our guests and the Grand Canyon West employees on duty Saturday," Grand Canyon West said in a statement Sunday.
"Moving forward, we will explore whether new policies and more security in addition to our extensive Skywalk safety barriers might be used to make Grand Canyon West even safer than it is today," the statement continued.
Ten million guests have visited Grand Canyon West since 2007, according to the statement. This is the first such incident involving the Skywalk.
Earlier this year, two people died at the Grand Canyon in separate incidents. Officials said in one incident, a man from Hong Kong stumbled over the edge of the rim while trying to take pictures at Grand Canyon West. That same week, a body was also found in a wooded area south of Grand Canyon Village away from the rim, the park said.
