Roundup: Three visitors die at Grand Canyon since March 26

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LOS ANGELES, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Three visitors have died in separate incidents in just over a week while visiting the Grand Canyon in the United States.

A man died on Wednesday after falling over the canyon rim east of Yavapai Geology Museum in the latest incident, said the Grand Canyon National Park Service (NPS) in a statement released on Thursday.

Rangers located the body of a 67-year-old male approximately 400 feet below the rim. The park's helicopter and technical rescue team were able to recover the body, according to the statement.

The man was reportedly from the western U.S. state of California by local media. An investigation into the incident is being conducted by the NPS and local medical examiner.

The Grand Canyon NPS, in the statement, encouraged all visitors to have a safe visit by staying on designated trails and walkways, always keeping a safe distance from the edge of the rim and staying behind railings and fences at overlooks.

The incident came only days after two tourist fatalities last week.

NPS rangers and special agents with the NPS Investigative Services Branch responded to a call reporting a visitor fatality near the South Rim in Grand Canyon National Park on March 26. The body of the person believed to be a foreign national was found in a wooded area near Grand Canyon Village, according to the NPS and U.S. media.

In another incident, a Macao tourist died on March 28 after a fall while visiting the Grand Canyon. The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles contacted American police and confirmed the death of the Macao tourist.

"The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles expressed deep regret over the death of the tourist and will provide necessary assistance in the aftermath," a spokesman of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles told Xinhua.

The tourist, in his 50s, slipped and fell hundreds of feet into the Grand Canyon from a lookout while taking pictures near the rim at Eagle Point, a popular tourist destination, reported local media, some of which initially identified the tourist as a Hongkonger. The Eagle Point is a remote site best known for the Skywalk, a horse-shoe shaped glass bridge that juts out from the canyon wall. Signs at Eagle Point warn tourists not to get too close to the edge.

About 12 deaths happen each year at the Grand Canyon, including from natural causes, medical problems, suicide, heat, drowning and traffic crashes. On average, two to three deaths per year are from falls over the rim, according to www.mygrandcanyonpark.com.

The Grand Canyon in the western U.S. state of Arizona is famous for its steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States, drawing nearly 6.4 million visitors last year.

According to the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, more than 80,000 Chinese tourists visited Arizona in 2017. The Consulate General has warned Chinese citizens to be aware of security risks while traveling in the state, including traffic accidents, heat, draught and bush fire. And according to a report of the Arizona Office of Tourism, Arizona had 5.56 million international overnight visitors in 2018, and China is currently the sixth largest source country of tourists. Enditem

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