Wasco County man dies after fall during Grand Canyon river trip

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — The body of a Wasco County man who fell in Grand Canyon National Park has been recovered.

Park officials said 48-year-old David Colburn, of Tygh Valley, fell 50 feet Saturday afternoon while hiking in the Deer Creek Narrows.

Colburn was on a non-commercial group river trip, officials said.

The National Park Service said its search and rescue teams couldn’t locate him until the next day because of the terrain, darkness and safety concerns.

Colburn’s body was flown by helicopter to the canyon's South Rim.

The Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office will assist in determining the official cause of death.

Hikers and river rafters are known to traverse a narrow canyon around Deer Creek Falls. The narrows are 136 miles downriver from Lees Ferry, where river rafting trips typically start from.