KLFY.com

St. Landry Parish man dies while on hiking trip to Grand Canyon

FILE - In this Oct. 5, 2013, file photo, the Grand Canyon National Park is covered in the morning sunlight as seen from a helicopter near Tusayan, Ariz. Edward Keable, a veteran lawyer for the U.S. Interior Department, has been appointed as the new superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park, a crown jewel of the park system. The National Park Service announced Friday, April 3, 2020, that Keable will assume his new post in northern Arizona within 60 days.(AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — A Washington man has died while on a multi-day hiking trip at Grand Canyon National Park, authorities said Thursday.

Park officials said Rodney Hatfield, 44, of Washington, La., collapsed Wednesday on the Bright Angel Trail.


They said Hatfield was returning from Phantom Ranch when he began experiencing difficulty hiking up the trail near Indian Garden.

He reached Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse before becoming unresponsive and rangers said resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

An investigation will be conducted by the National Park Service in coordination with the Coconino County Medical Examiner who will try to determine the cause of Hatfield’s death.