Yelp executive dies after misstep at Grand Canyon
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. -- A Delaware County family is struggling to come to grips with an unimaginable loss.
On Friday, their loved one, 35-year-old Colleen Burns, fell to her death at the Grand Canyon.
The Morton, Pa. native traveled to the national park with two of her close friends from Orlando last week.
Burns has lived in Florida for the past several years where she worked as the regional marketing director for Yelp.
One of those friends says the trio took a sunset tour of the canyon Thursday night, then went to bed early.
Before going to sleep Burns posted two photos on Instagram, one of the sunset and one of her sitting on a cliff ledge.
Nobody knew that peaceful picture would be her last.
The friends got up early Friday to hike the iconic South Kaibab trail, stopping at a popular scenic spot called Ooh Aah Point.
"She was like stepping out of the way for another gentleman to kind of squeeze in, unfortunately Colleen kind of got tripped up on her own feet and fell backwards," friend Jessica Roman said.
Park rangers found the Cardinal O'Hara grad's body 400 feet below.
As the National Park Service investigates her death, her friends are honoring her life, remembering Burns' infectious smile, kind spirit, and the love she had for her two yorkies.
"That was the longest, strangest, craziest two seconds of my life. Those last two seconds where everything changed are so minute in comparison to all the memories I have with her," Roman said.
Action News reached out to the Burns' family Tuesday night, but they did not want to speak.
According to published reports, Burns will be cremated after a celebration of life service at Springfield Country Club on Saturday.
