German tourist dies while camping at Grand Canyon

PHOENIX - A vacationing German tourist lost consciousness and died while camping with his wife in Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park, park officials said on Wednesday.

Wolfgang-Hans-Joachim Gloede, 64, of Sievershagen, Germany, collapsed and died late on Monday from unknown causes at the popular Desert View Campground on the canyon's south rim.

Bystanders had started cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts when park medics and rangers arrived and tried to revive the man with a heart defibrillator, said park spokeswoman Kirby-Lynn Shedlowski.

Their efforts failed, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene, she said.

The National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner are investigating the death.

The German camper became the second person to die in the park in a week. A Seattle woman died June 3 from an apparent allergic reaction while on a rafting trip through the canyon.

The latest death brings to seven the number of fatalities at the park this year, including four killed in car accidents or falls from ledges, park officials said.

The crimson-hued Grand Canyon ranks as one of the world's most popular outdoor tourist attractions, drawing more than 4.5 million visitors a year.