Tourist Taking Photo Falls Into Grand Canyon

A tourist trying to get the perfect photo stumbled over the rim of the Grand Canyon and fell to his death, authorities say. David Leibowitz, a spokesman for Grand Canyon West, says the man was part of a group taking photos very close to the canyon's edge at Eagle Point, adjacent to the Skywalk attraction, the Arizona Republic reports. A helicopter recovered the man's body from 1,000 feet below the rim. The tourist was identified as a man in his 50s from Macau who was traveling with a tour group from Hong Kong, reports the South China Morning Post. According to the Post, the man was trying to take a selfie.

Signs at Eagle Point, where there is no barrier between visitors and the rim, warn people not to get too close to the edge, the AP reports. The site is on the Hualapai reservation outside the boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park. "People are too dedicated to getting that perfect shot—they forget that just one little slip can be fatal," travel writer James Hong tells the Post. CNN reports that the man is the second international tourist to die at the Grand Canyon this week. The body of a person believed to be a foreign national was found in a wooded area south of Grand Canyon Village on Tuesday evening, authorities say. The National Park Service says the cause of death is unclear. Rangers and the coroner's office are investigating. (More Grand Canyon stories.)