Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon [Paperback]

Michael P. Ghiglieri (Author), Thomas M. Myers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 25, 2001

Gripping accounts of all known fatal mishaps in the most famous of the World's Seven Natural Wonders.

Two veterans of decades of adventuring in Grand Canyon chronicle the first complete and comprehensive history of Canyon misadventures. These episodes span the entire era of visitation from the time of the first river exploration by John Wesley Powell and his crew of 1869 to that of tourists falling off its rims in Y2K.

These accounts of the 550 people who have met untimely deaths in the Canyon set a new high water mark for offering the most astounding array of adventures, misadventures, and life saving lessons published between any two covers. Over the Edge promises to be the most intense yet informative book on Grand Canyon ever written.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Flagstaff, AZ-based authors Ghiglieri, a biologist who leads river trips in the Grand Canyon and abroad, and Myers (Fateful Journey: Injury and Death on Colorado River Trips in Grand Canyon), a medical doctor who has treated hundreds of Canyon injuries, have compiled a fascinating chronicle of deaths and dangers in Grand Canyon National Park. The book is arranged by category falls, dehydration, floods, the Colorado River, air crashes, freak accidents, suicides, and murder and at the end of each chapter is a chronological list with names, descriptions, and causes of the accidents. The authors show that most of the deaths, whether of tourists, prospectors, or experienced adventurers, occurred when people failed to pay attention to warning signs or did not use common sense; others are attributed to high testosterone levels. The episodes are engrossing, but one becomes sated with the details after a while. For public and large academic libraries. George M. Jenks, Bucknell Univ., Lewisburg PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Man Meets Grand Canyon-and Underestimates It" expose a death toll that leaves Mount Everest’s appalling record in the dust -- Prescott Daily Courier

A must-read for anyone planning on going into the Grand Canyon. whether you are hiking, river running or just visiting. -- Flagstaff Live!

Backpackers will find these tales riveting and the lessons applicable to all rugged hiking. -- Backpacker magazine

It's packed full of information that both men hope will teach readers valuable lessons about safety in Grand Canyon. -- Arizona Daily Sun

Perhaps the park should allow the book to be sold on the Rim Trail. -- Williams-Grand Canyon News --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Puma Pr; 1st edition (May 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097009731X
• ISBN-13: 978-0970097316
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (144 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > Travel > Food, Lodging & Transportation > Parks & Campgrounds
  • #46 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Sociology > Death

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

141 of 143 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, Dark, but Instructive November 25, 2002

By Wayne A. Smith VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a very well researched book that lists all of the people who have perished in the Grand Canyon.

The book is morbidly fascinating. It starts with tumbles from the top (what many visitors want to know about) and death on the trails. The book also covers air crashes into the canyon, drive-offs (think Thelma & Louise), river drowning, suicides, murder and a few other odd ways people have perished in the natural attraction Teddy Roosevelt said was the one site every American should visit in their lifetime. There are even one or two snakebite victims and two or so people who made tea from a deadly canyon flower with enough toxicity to kill a mule. Speaking of mules, the mule rides down the canyon trails are very safe when compared to other modes of enjoying the canyon. If you don't go in winter (when snow can bury the trail), I believe the record will show that mules never go over the edge.

The book is most interesting in the beginning. The topic of death and tragedy are new, and the deaths are the most shocking (including people who backed up right over the edge posing for pictures and men who went over trying to create their own waterfalls when nature called). One does get used to the constant morbidity and toward the end the air crash vignettes, suicides and murders lack the grip of the earlier free-fall victims. The authors also sometimes throw in annoying "got-cha" lines that seem out of place (but not too often to ruin the book).

Where this book is instructive is in its analysis of death in the canyon. Stupid behavior, ignoring warnings, not taking enough water on canyon hikes and swimming in the off-limits Colorado River account for about 90% of the deaths recorded.... It is clear that the Grand Canyon could be remarkably safe if people exercised commonsense and obeyed park rules. It is also interesting to note that males perish way out of proportion to their numbers, indicating that risky and show-off behavior is still unfortunately our birthright.

This book would be an excellent read for anyone contemplating a hike into the canyon or river trip through it. I'm sure both the edges of the canyon and the river looked placid and safe for too many would be adventures that wound up as statistics in this book. Just obeying the rules (stay behind the railings, take recommended amount of water, don't swim in the Colorado) would have saved a lot of lives. Those visiting soon would be well warned by the mishaps listed from typical "vacation" and adventurous behavior that the Grand Canyon can be a killer if not respected.

Even with the 500 plus deaths recorded in the book (not counting air crashes) it is important to note that the Grand Canyon remains a safe place to enjoy one of nature's great monuments. With the millions of visitors who have taken in its charms, statistically it is not much more dangerous to the average visitor than a walk in the park. But for those who exercise extremely bad judgement it can be a killer.

This is a recommended read -- fascinating, enjoyable and with worthwhile lessons. Read more ›

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Reading for Grand Canyon Visitors June 28, 2004

By C. Baker VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

When I visited the Grand Canyon in 2001 I picked up a copy of this book - Over the Edge. It languished on my to read list until now. Overall it's a fascinating book, if a bit tedious at times. I suspect someone who has never been to the Grand Canyon will not appreciate the grandeur and dangers the book describes as much as this reader. Having been there myself and being at least a little familiar with it made the book come to life that much more.

This book details the actual events around numerous deaths in the Grand Canyon, and offers detailed summary tables. Whether it's falling off the edge, crashing in a plane or helicopter, getting lost and dying of dehydration, drowning in the Colorado River, getting caught in a flash flood, getting smushed by big rock falling in the canyon, being struck by lightning, getting murdered, or deciding you're life is not worth living and taking a plunge over the edge to end it all - this book covers it all.

The key theme of the book is that most deaths in the Grand Canyon can be avoided if you use common sense and don't take unnecessary risks. Most of the deaths detailed in the book are a direct result of people doing stupid things, liking jumping around or goofing off on the edge of the canyon, hiking very difficult trails (or areas with no well maintained trails) without the experience required and without enough water and food, or trying to run rapids that are too dangerous without life jackets or other safety precautions. There are other numerous examples of unnecessary deaths as a result of carelessness or bad decisions. Most of the deaths in the book could have been prevented by just plain ol' common sense. Not surprisingly, most of these types of death are disproportionately young males who are over confident in their abilities....

I would highly recommend this book to those who have visited or plan to visit the Grand Canyon. Its lessons may save you from going over the edge. Read more ›

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Over the Edge August 3, 2001

By Joe Hudson

Format:Paperback

This book is a must read for anyone planning to venture into the Grand Canyon. It chronicles every known death in the canyon and on its rims. Morbid? Perhaps, but the book's real aim is to keep you the reader from making the sorts of decisions that have led to hundreds of people's deaths.

The fatal incidents are grouped into categories: falls from the rim, falls within the canyon, heat/dehydration, drowning, etc. Some cases are covered in just a sentence or two; others are described in riveting detail. It's a hard book to put down.

Having made 15 backpacking trips into the canyon, most of them a week long, I figured I knew everything there was to know about safe and sensible behavior in the canyon. But even for me this book was a real eye-opener. For someone going to the canyon for the first time or the hundredth time, "Over the Edge" just might be a life-saver.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Deadly Natural Beauty October 24, 2001

By Charles Slovenski

Format:Paperback

I was at the Grand Canyon North Rim a few weeks ago. Looking for information at the visitor's office, I was cautioned that a hike into the canyon is extremely dangerous and difficult. This was made clear both in the literature and by the person behind the desk. I was skeptical - I mean how tough can hiking be - and wondered if these cautions were dramatic. The night before I was to hike down, I wandered into the gift shop and flipped through this book. Before I could say "help!" I was laying down bucks to take it back to my cabin for a nightly reading experience which ran from incredulity to horror to fear for my own safety. Because of this book, I cautioned my hiking buddy not to wander off the trail, not to pretend to be falling and to avoid the temptation to urinate over the edge of a cliff (sorry ladies, it's a guy thing, and it's gotten a number of us killed). He later admitted that he was, in fact, tempted to do all these things which proves how naturally we invite accidents. Needlesstosay, after hearing about the intense heat and cases of dehydration we packed lots more water. Despite the heat headaches and blisters at the end of the day, it was a fantastic hike that ended with an awesome respect for nature.

This book breaks through the assumption that a national park can be visited with the same indifference to safety as an amusement or theme park. It is written in a surprising straight-forward manner with direct comments on safety. There are discussions about how some deaths could have been avoided, as well as intelligent and professional assessments regarding events surrounding obscure or unwitnessed accidents. Accidents of all manner are organized and discussed: on the rim of the Grand Canyon (picture-taking on the rim can become a nearly fatal activity!...), by environmental conditions, by flash floods, on the Colorado river, by aviation, suicide and freak accidents. Each chapter is followed by a list of victims and brief circumstances surrounding their deaths.

There's a lot of history here and several tales of prospectors and frontier adventurers. Some of the stories of more recent accidents are deeply disturbing and demonstrate how much people have suffered. This book serves not only as chronicle of deaths in the Grand Canyon but also as a guide to those who visit and appreciate the enormous power of the place. Read more ›