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Hiker dies friday while hiking in Grand Canyon

GRAND CANYON, Ariz. - A man died Sept. 19 while hiking below Ribbon Falls on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

At approximately 4 p.m. a park visitor reported that the man had fallen and was having trouble breathing.

Park rangers responded by helicopter and found the victim. A park EMT and two medics helped perform CPR that was already in progress. All efforts to resuscitate the victim were unsuccessful.

Michael Sperry, 46, of Valparaiso, Indiana, was on a rim-to-rim extended day hike with his two brothers when he collapsed. Witnesses, who began CPR, reported an immediate loss of consciousness by Sperry, from which he never recovered. CPR efforts continued for over an hour before Sperry was pronounced dead.

Sperry's body was flown to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park then transported to the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office in Flagstaff, Arizona where an autopsy was completed last week.

For more information on hiker safety tips visit, hikesafe.com.


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