Tourist dies after falling off raft on Grand Canyon rapids tour

‘Park rangers were flown into the location with the park helicopter and all resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful’

A 68-year-old woman died after falling into the water during a whitewater rafting trip in the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

Mary Kelley from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, fell into the water on Thursday morning on the ninth day of her boat journey near Hance Rapid on the Colorado River, according to the National Park Service.

Others in the group she was travelling with managed to get her out of the water. She was unresponsive and CPR was performed until emergency services got to the scene.

Park officials were alerted that CPR was in progress at around 11.18am on 24 March.

“Park rangers were flown into the location with the park helicopter and all resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful,” the National Park Service said in a statement.

They noted that there was strong turbulence in the area where Ms Kelley fell into the water because of debris brought there by recent flash floods, according to the New York Post.

The death is being investigated by the National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner.