The Grand Canyon, one of the most celebrated natural wonders in the United States, known for its deep valleys and rust-colored views, has been the site of multiple deaths this summer, raising concerns about hiker safety at the park.

There have been 11 deaths at Grand Canyon National Park so far this year — including three recent fatalities over one week. That is slightly above average from the last several years, Joëlle Baird, a spokeswoman for the National Park Service, said on Tuesday. The park averages around 17 deaths per year, with the most common cause being cardiac arrest, according to data from the last decade.

The three most recent deaths occurred within a span of seven days ending Aug. 6, when officials recovered the body of a 20-year-old woman from New Mexico about 150 feet below the rim of the canyon after a multiday search. Five days earlier, the authorities found the body of a man who tried to BASE jump from the South Rim of the park, and at the end of July officials recovered the body of a North Carolina man 400 feet below the canyon’s rim after he had accidentally fallen from the edge.

“Despite facing inclement weather and hazardous terrain, the team has undertaken significant risks to complete these missions,” park officials said in a statement following the most recent death.

Earlier this summer, Grand Canyon officials reported another three deaths in less than a month, including one that occurred during an intense heat wave that swept the Western United States.

Rescue missions at the Grand Canyon are not uncommon. Over 250 people are rescued from the canyon each year, according to the National Park Service, and nearly 200 visitors have died at the park from 2007 to March 2024, 39 of them while hiking.