It was 1992 when Greg Austin Gingrich was visiting the Grand Canyon with his teenage daughter.
Greg wanted to play a joke on his daughter. His plan was to try to fake his falling by pretending to lose his balance.
Greg hopped up on the guard rail and started to flail his arms. He was play-acting that he was losing his balance.
His intent was to fall down a small slope where he could catch his balance. The slope was located just beyond the edge he was standing on. He most likely thought that he could land safely on the ridge and would not fall further than that.
But what happened next was horrifying and unimaginable for both him and his daughter.
Greg lost his footing while he was pretending to fall and plummeted 400 feet to his death. He was not able to land on the ridge.
The Grand Canyon can be a dangerous place. There are reports that the place has experienced over 900 deaths. Accidents in the Grand Canyon can occur from airplane and helicopter crashes followed by falling.
Aerial deaths from plane crashes are the biggest killer in the Grand Canyon.
On average, it is reported that 2 to 3 deaths occur every year from accidental falls over the rim. About 180 people in total have died from falling.
These people may have fallen from the ledge, or fallen from within the canyon. Another reason for falling would be suicide.
The stories of people falling remain heartbreaking.
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