Woman Falls to Her Death at Grand Canyon

Colleen Burns, 35, of Orlando, FL was hiking in the Grand Canyon on Friday along the popular South Kaibab trail when she fell from Ooh Ah Point. Burns was taking photographs of the surrounding Canyon, and posted to her personal Instagram account just moments before the accident occurred. Many outlets have been reporting the death as another "selfie" caused accident, although sources have denied this allegation. 

People Magazine, among others, revealed that Burns was making way for a fellow hiker along the trail when she slipped. "She was stepping out of the way for another gentleman to kind of squeeze in, and unfortunately, Colleen kind of got tripped up on her own feet and fell backwards, fell into the canyon,"  said Jessica Roman, who was hiking with Burns at the time of her death. "That was the longest, strangest, craziest two seconds of my life."

Burns posted a photograph captioned "That view tho" Friday morning before her death. Colleen Burns photo via Instagram. 

A regional Marketing Director for Yelp in Orlando, Burns was "a 'constant sparkle' that captivated those around her", according to her mother. Her father also commented on the way that Burns chose to live her life. "She was the type of person who wasn't afraid of anything or to do something new," he claims. "Her thinking was, 'You only have one life and as long as nobody gets hurt, I want to go on adventures.'

He followed up on his daughters adventurous spirit: "She loved sunsets and sunrises. This was just a freak accident." He says he doesn't want his daughter's tragic death to discourage people from enjoying the outdoors – but to be "safe while living life." Her employer, Yelp Orlando, released a statement upon hearing the news. "We are deeply saddened by the death of Colleen Burns, a cherished Yelp colleague and friend. Colleen launched the Yelp community in Orlando nearly seven years ago. Her passing represents a tremendous loss to our company, the communities she supported and the many friends she made while doing what she loved. We are heartbroken but thankful to have been positively shaped by her passion and joy for life."

Yet another friend devastated by the loss of Ms. Burns was DJ Kaskade, whom Ms. Burns had a professional relationship with. He posted a photograph of the two to his Instagram account, remarking on Ms. Burns' "unmatched enthusiasm for life; the fire in her eyes and that crazy infectious smile". Burns was the creator of a fan group for the artist, Kaskade Konnect. Kaskade photo via Instagram.  

Friends, family, and a community of well-wishers have turned to social media as a method of support for those affected by Colleen's death, commenting on her Instagram post as one form of remembrance. 

Burns was found about 400 feet off of the trail. The National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner are investigating her death, the AP reported.

TGR's thoughts go out to the friends and family of Ms. Burns.