GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, AZ (AZFamily) — What began as a celebratory journey for Maylin Griffiths’ 40th birthday quickly turned into a harrowing ordeal at Havasupai Falls in the remote Grand Canyon area.
“We started early morning on the 6th and set up camp, we had a wonderful campsite,” Griffiths recounted.
However, the joyous occasion took a dark turn when Griffiths and a friend became violently ill early Saturday morning.
“I was throwing up, experiencing severe GI issues, and it just kept getting worse,” Griffiths recalled.
After hiking several miles back to the village in the canyon for assistance, they received urgent medical attention.
“The doctor found our temperatures were alarmingly high — mine was 104 and my friend’s was 105. We were very sick. They admitted us to the clinic because it was considered life-threatening,” Griffiths explained.
Reports on social media have echoed similar stories, including that of Madeyln Melchiors from Kingman, who had to hike out of the canyon after falling ill on her last night, using a mule to transport her camping gear.
“It was something I’ve never experienced before,” Melchiors said. “And it ended in the heat of the day, which was terrible.”
Griffiths, requiring evacuation by helicopter, described encountering over 150 individuals in line for medical assistance, many of whom were also unwell. The exact cause of the reported outbreak and the illness remain unclear.
According to a statement from the Havasupai Tribe Tourism Office, Fern Spring at Havasupai Falls was tested last Thursday, confirming the water was safe.
“While a definitive medical consensus hasn’t been reached, it felt like norovirus. The doctors were discussing some type of virus,” Griffiths shared.
This incident recalls a similar outbreak investigated by the Center for Disease Control in 2022, involving norovirus on rafting and hiking expeditions at the Grand Canyon, affecting hundreds.
“I hope they consider closing things temporarily. I wouldn’t want anyone else to hike in and endure what I did, especially with temperatures rising,” Griffiths expressed.