Big Bend National Park has confirmed the death of 69-year-old park visitor Edward Lowe, of Dallas.
Park officials report Lowe sustained fatal injuries Wednesday morning while looking for a campsite about a mile from the mouth of Boquillas Canyon, when he fell headfirst off of an embankment. He was on a week-long canoe trip along the Rio Grande, which runs through the canyon.
Tom Vandenberg is the park’s Chief of Interpretation. He says Lowe was camping with several friends, who tried to give him CPR after his fall.
"They quickly knew that they needed to get help, so they actually canoed out of the canyon against the flow of the river, which was very difficult to do," he says. The water was flowing at 800 cubic feet per second, which is faster than average for this time of year.
Lowe died before first responders were able to reach him. A team of Big Bend National Park rangers and Border Patrol agents recovered his body later that day.
In a press release, park officials wrote:
Big Bend National Park staff are saddened by this tragic loss of life, and extend their condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Lowe.
