Arizona girl plunges to her death in Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon and the Colorado River are seen in Grand Canyon, Arizona, April 1, 2007. A four-year-old Arizona girl walking at the edge of the Grand Canyon slipped and plunged about 450 feet to her death on Tuesday, a park official said.

PHOENIX (Reuters) - A four-year-old Arizona girl walking at the edge of the Grand Canyon slipped and plunged about 450 feet to her death on Tuesday, a park official said.

The girl, visiting the vast scenic canyon on a family vacation, fell while on a trail near Mather Point, one of the most popular viewing spots, said park spokeswoman Pamela Walls.

The child's father scrambled down the cliff and tried to resuscitate her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Millions of people come here on vacation and this is a tragic reminder that when you have children here you have to keep them under control at all times," said Walls. "Something like this can happen in a flash."

It is second time this year that a person has died in a fall from the crimson-hued canyon, an international tourist attraction visited by an estimated 4.5 million people annually.