Heart Attack Claims Kayaker in Grand Canyon

A kayaker suffered a massive heart attack while paddling the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Thursday afternoon, July 29, 2004. James Mehegan, of Riverside, California, after kayaking through 205 Mile Rapid, paddled over to his non-commercial river trip's safety raft and told the rafter he thought he was having a heart attack. He then lost consciousness and his boat rolled over. Two other river trips were at the scene, a group of National Park Service personnel and a commercial tour. Despite an hour of administering advanced life support, efforts to revive the 52-year-old Mehagen were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene.