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Yuma man dies on Canyon hike

A 53-year-old Yuma man collapsed and died in the Inner Canyon Sunday while hiking with his stepson.

Richard Howard reportedly collapsed in the Escalante Drainage, about 600 yards above the river.

His stepson administered CPR before running down to the river, where he flagged down a commerical river trip at river mile 75.

Park Dispatch received a call at about 3:30 p.m. from someone on the trip.

Rangers arrived at about 4 p.m. and found the man had died. His body was transported to the Coconino County Medical Examiner's office, where a cause of death will be determined.

Howard and his stepson started their trip on Saturday from the Tanner Trail about four miles west of Desert View. They planned to hike into remote areas of the Canyon including Cardenas, Hance, Grapevine and Cremation before hiking out on the South Kaibab Trail on Thursday, June 22.

High temperature at Phantom Ranch last Sunday was 110 degrees.

For information on hiker safety, contact the Backcountry Office at 928-638-7875.


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