Fatal falls at the Grand Canyon

A string of deaths at the Grand Canyon since late March has highlighted the potential dangers of visiting one of the most beloved national parks in the country.

On Tuesday, Cynthia Ackley, 69, died from a fall from the South Rim. Her death was the fourth in the park this year and the third from a fall in about a month. One of the deaths was not in the national park but on the Hualapai reservation in Grand Canyon West.

Since 1886, there have been  671 deaths in the park, from falls, drownings, dehydration and heat stroke, hypothermia and other causes, according to data from Michael P. Ghiglieri and Thomas M. Myers, authors of “Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon.” Of those fatalities, 126 were from falls from the canyon’s rims, according to their data.

The Grand Canyon is one of the most popular national parks in the U.S., setting a park record last year with nearly 6.4 million visitors.

 Scroll down for a closer look at falling deaths within the Grand Canyon, with data provided by Michael P. Ghiglieri and Thomas M. Myers, authors of "Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon...MORE