Grand Canyon, Ariz. - A body retrieved from below Moran Point on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park on Monday, July 12 has been positively identified as that of 50 year old Kirby Porter of Mechanicsville, Virginia.
At approximately 9:15 p.m. on Sunday, July 11, the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report of a man seen exiting a car at Moran Point, climbing over a retaining wall and lying down on the edge of the canyon rim. When park rangers arrived at the scene, they found the car, but no sign of the man witnesses had described.
On Monday, search operations began in the area; and at approximately 12:00 noon, the park’s helicopter reported sighting the body of a man over 250 feet below the rim. The body was transported to the South Rim helibase by helicopter via long-line operation (suspended below the helicopter by a fixed line) and transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner.
According to the Coconino County Medical Examiner, the cause of death has been determined to be injuries sustained in a fall. The manner of death cannot be determined at this time.
-NPS-
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
