A 55-year-old hiker died on Saturday in the Grand Canyon after attempting to make a 21-mile hike, going from the South Rim to the North Rim, in a single day, authorities shared.
Grand Canyon Park officials shared that the hiker was Ranjith Varma of Virginia. Officials say that Varma died toward the end of his South Rim to North Rim hike, which can take upwards of 15 hours to complete.
At approximately 2 p.m. on Saturday, an emergency call was made about a hiker in distress at the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center.
The hiker was located on the North Kaibab Trail by the use of a search and rescue helicopter, the park shared.
When rangers arrived at the location, they found Varma in an unresponsive state. Both the bystanders who called and the rangers attempted life-saving measures, but they were unsuccessful.
The cause of death has not been made clear, but an investigation by the Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner is underway.
Heat may have played a factor in Varma’s death, as temperatures at Grand Canyon Airport reached upwards of 87 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday, but it could have been hotter in the canyon.
“In the summer, temperatures on exposed parts of the trail can reach over 120°F (49 °C) in the shade,” the park said in a press release. “Park rangers strongly advise not hiking in the inner canyon during the heat of the day between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.”