Man Falls in The Grand Canyon . . . and Lives

Last week, an 18-year-old man fell into the world's most stunning hole in the ground and lived to tell about it.

So far, his name hasn't been released. On August 5th, he was taking pictures at Mather Point, slipped, and fell 75 feet.  The fall rendered him unconscious, so the fall is no laughing matter.  Paramedics rappelled down to him and he was extracted by helicopter.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20100806/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_grand_canyon_fall

Others before him haven't been so lucky, although it doesn't happen very often. In the past 125 years, 53 people have died in Grand Canyon from falling. Another 48 committed suicide at The Canyon.

Some years ago, an intriguing book emerged: Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon: Gripping Accounts of All Known Fatal Mishaps in the Most Famous of the World's Seven Natural Wonders

In it, you get some interesting stories including the one of a 1950s mid-air head-on collision of two passenger aircraft.

Anyway, rule of thumb when taking pictures at Grand Canyon: don't walk with your camera held up to your face.