Mohave County authorities from the Arizona Sheriff’s Office recovered the body on the day of the incident, June 5, 2023, but have so far only released the man’s age but not his identity. It was not made clear why news of the tragedy is only being released today, 2 weeks after the tragic event.
In a facebook post by the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office, it was described that two short-haul technicians (rope specialists) responded with a Kingman DPS Ranger helicopter to the scene of the accident where it was determined the man had died.
After recovery, the man’s body was taken to the Command Post and then transferred to the Hualapai Nation which runs the West Rim of the Grand Canyon including the Skywalk.
It is not certain if the man accidentally fell off the Skywalk or committed suicide.
The incident happened at around 9:00 am on that Monday.
The Grand Canyon Skywalk is a glass viewing bridge in the shape of a horseshoe that extends 70 feet out over the West Rim. From this platform, viewers can look down and see directly into the Colorado River which lies 4,000 feet down.
It lies within the Hualapai Reservation which was established in 1883 and consists of a little under 1,000,000 acres. There are 2,300 members of the Hualapai tribe which operates a hotel, restaurant, and gift shop in Peach Springs. The tribe chose a site at the far western end of Grand Canyon to offer a variety of visitor services including the Skywalk.
An investigation is ongoing.