“How many people fall here each year?”
This is the question that nearly every National Park Service ranger hears most often from South Rim visitors once they first view the shocking abyss called Grand Canyon.

Here are a few who fell to their death, suddenly:

Gesala Elixmann, 34. Died on March 9, 1989. While she stood on the edge, she became dizzy and fell 500 feet.

Scott Awodey, 29. Died on June 25, 1992. He was “rock-hopping” on the edge of the rim, reportedly hamming it up for photos. He fell 140 feet.

Lori Newcomb, 31. Died on September 7, 1993. She walked far out on the edge to take a photo. The rock crumbled under her weight. She fell 150 feet to her death.
—From “Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon” by Michael P. Ghiglieri and Thomas M. Myers