Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)
Park EMS Staff Successfully Revive Visitor

Park emergency responders were paged out for a cardiac arrest event near the Bright Angel trailhead on the South Rim around 7 a.m. on September 11th. An 81-year-old visitor was preparing to depart on a day mule ride down the Bright Angel Trail when he collapsed. Bystanders, including a physician and former paramedic, found him unresponsive and immediately began CPR. They were relieved by park EMS providers within a few minutes. The man was quickly defibrillated and advanced life support care was initiated. Within a few minutes of resuscitation attempts he spontaneously resumed circulation. He was stabilized by EMS providers and later transferred to a Classic Lifeguard aeromedical helicopter for transport to Flagstaff Medical Center, where he is expected to make a full recovery.