South Rim of the Grand Canyon from Lipan point. (NPS photo)
The body was discovered by a search team on April 25. Due to the inaccessible nature of the terrain, extensive planning and twenty-five personnel were needed to recover the body which was located almost 700 feet below the rim.
Search operations had been ongoing since April 6 as weather and available personnel allowed. The search began with the report of a vehicle that appeared to have been abandoned near the Shrine of the Ages on the South Rim. During their investigations of the vehicle, rangers determined that it was associated with a missing person report filed in White Plains on March 21. Grand Canyon search operations included rim and inner canyon ground searches as well as the use of search dogs and a helicopter.
Watson’s death was ruled “death by falling.” The incident investigation was conducted by the National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner.
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