- Michelle Meder, of Hudson, Ohio, died while hiking the
Grand Canyon over the weekend. - The National Park Service said the 53-year-old's
death was likely heat related. - Meder was on a multi-day hike from Hermit to Bright Angel Trail when she died.
A 53-year-old hiker died at the Grand Canyon National Park during extreme heat over the weekend.
Michelle Meder, of Hudson, Ohio, was on a multi-day backpacking trip from Hermit to Bright Angel Trail when she died, the National Parks Service (NPS) said in a statement.
Her death was likely heat related, the NPS said.
The NPS said that Meder first became disoriented and lost consciousness on Saturday, and park rangers received a call the next day about a woman, Meder, experiencing heat illness on a trail.
Responding rangers determined the backpacker was dead on Sunday, when temperatures at the the bottom of the Grand Canyon hit 115 Fahrenheit.
An investigation into Meder's death is ongoing, the NPS said.
Large parts of the West and the Southwest have been experiencing a record-shattering heat wave throughout June, and drought conditions across both regions are more severe and widespread than they have been in the last 20 years.
Park Rangers at Grand Canyon National Park have advised visitors not to hike the inner canyon between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., adding that parts of some trails can reach over 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade.