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Woman dies after tripping, falling backward into Grand Canyon

Posted at 8:31 AM, Jul 13, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-13 08:31:28-04

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. -- A 35-year-old Florida woman died on Friday after she lost her balance and fell 400 feet from the edge of a cliff, according to multiple reports.

Colleen Burns, 35, had been taking photos with friends along a trail early Friday morning when she fell.

Jessica Roman, who was vacationing with Burns, told WESH the group had just taken a photo along the South Kaibab Trail and were switching places with another group when she lost her balance.

"She was stepping out of the way for another gentleman to kind of squeeze in, and unfortunately, Colleen just kind of got tripped up on her own feet and fell backward and fell into the canyon," Roman told WESH.

Park rangers found the woman's body about 400 feet from where she had been standing.

A photo provided to WESH shows Burns a few minutes before her fatal fall.

On Thursday, Burns shared a photo on Instagram that shows her sitting near the edge of a cliff. In the caption she wrote, "That view tho." The photo was taken on Thursday evening, according to friends.

View this post on Instagram

That view tho 😍👌🏼

A post shared by Colleen Burns (@colleenburns) on

Burns was well-known in the Orlando area where she worked as a marketing director at Yelp.

The company issued a statement:

"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."

The National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner are still investigating the incident.