Man falls hundreds of feet to death at Grand Canyon Skywalk after climbing over safety barrier

Officials begin efforts to recover man's body

The Skywalk is a horseshoe-shaped glass walkway that juts out about 70 feet over the canyon (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A 28-year-old man has jumped off the Grand Canyon Skywalk and fallen hundreds of feet to his death, according to officials.

Authorities are trying to locate the man’s body after he climbed over a safety barrier at the skywalk and apparently jumped to his death over the weekend.

The skywalk, which was opened in 2007, has a vertical drop between 500 and 800ft (244m).

It is a horseshoe-shaped glass walkway that juts out about 70ft over the canyon overlooking the Colorado River.

A Grand Canyon West spokesperson said a body recovery effort began on Sunday morning.

Reports said the man was a visitor to the tourist spot on the Hualapai reservation outside Grand Canyon National Park and jumped at around 4.30pm on Saturday.

Deaths are relatively rare at the Grand Canyon, which was visited by more than 6 million people in 2018.

Earlier this year, three people died in just eight days at the park, raising questions about safety at the tourist attraction.

Those deaths included a Chinese tourist who fell to his death when he stumbled while trying to take a photo close to the Skywalk.

There are about 12 deaths annually at the park on average.

Deaths from heat or dehydration are more common than falling off the edge of the canyon, according to a visitor information website for the park.

However, the website notes that falls are “still a major common”.

In April, a park official reported that there were 17 fatalities in 2018.

Additional reporting by agencies