GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — A 67-year-old man has died after a motorboat flipped over on a Colorado River trip inside Grand Canyon National Park, officials said Sunday.
Park officials said the boat overturned shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday and emergency medical personnel treated four people and transported them to the South Rim.
Authorities said their injuries were not critical.
Park officials identified the dead man as Ronald Vanderlugt, but didn’t immediately release his hometown.
They said Vanderlugt was on day five of his trip and entered the river at Bedrock Rapid, which rafting experts say is a large rocky island that divides the river into left and right channels.
John Dillon, the executive director of the Grand Canyon River Outfitters Association that represents the outfitters permitted in the canyon, said the boat flipped on a rapid when it came up against a rock.
Dillon said some passengers decided against continuing the trip, which was operated by Western River Expeditions.
Park officials said members of the river trip group pulled Vanderlugt out of the water, saw that he was unresponsive and began CPR.
They said park rangers were flown into the location by helicopter, but Vanderlugt could not be resuscitated.
An investigation will be conducted by the National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner.
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