4 year old falls to death at Grand Canyon?

While it is impossible to keep an eye on one's children at all times, when visiting a place where safety precautions should obviously be taken, common sense would normally dictate HOLDING SMALL CHILDREN'S HANDS or otherwise being extra-vigilant. Yes, this was very tragic, but letting a 4 year old walk around unattended at the Grand Canyon rim is just plain stupid. The Grand Canyon is a national park, which encompasses many square miles. It's not something that can just be "fenced off". The Grand Canyon is also a popular vacation spot for experienced hikers and climbers.

A fence is unrealistic. To huge and expensive.

What is more pertinent a question is why a family allowed a young child to be near the edge in the first place and wether or not visiting the grand canyon is suitable for those who plan to take young children who are not under direct control (held hand or tether) of a parent.

Its terribly sad for the parents but was avoidable.

No, No, No! there have been 50 deaths from falls on the Grand Canyon on the grounds that 1870! there have been a entire of roughly 600 deaths from many reasons, dehydration, getting lost, heart assaults, etc. See article under and scroll waaay all the way down to the paragraph on fatalities.

The Grand Canyon is Grand, as in huge. It would be insane to put a fence all around it. I have heard that there is something like 20 people a year fall in. The question is why they got so close to the edge in the first place.

There are guard rails at most of the overlooks, but anyone can crawl over them...especially an energetic kid. After all, people go there to take pictures and they don't want chain link fences in the way. And let's face it, the Grand Canyon is pretty big. You can't fence in the whole thing, anyway.

OMG, that poor child!

Thanks for the link, I was unaware of all the deaths that have happened at the Grand Canyon. I have never been there myself, flying over it (in an airplane of course, not on my broom) is enough for me.

It makes me wonder how many of those deaths were suicides, though or "accidents" by someone else.

You only have to take your eyes off a young child such as this. for a few seconds. Tragic accident

That's a really sad story, but I don't think you can put guard rails around nature - it's the parents' responsibility to take proper precautions. Personally I wouldn't take my child somewhere that dangerous.

When my son was a toddler I always put the reigns on him,I dont know if anybody out there knows what im talking about.You could call them braces with a leash.

hi, if they put fences it ruins the attraction, my question is why was a 4yr old aloud over there, isn't there an age restriction