Image
A young Australian man has been reportedly killed by what was believed to be a lightning strike at the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona
A young Australian man has been reportedly killed by what was believed to be a lightning strike when he was hiking at a popular trail in the US.

Jonathan Crowden, from Alfredton, west of Melbourne, was hiking alone on Sunday afternoon (local time) at the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, according to a park official.

But the trip of a lifetime ended in tragedy for the 21-year-old after his deceased body was found about 1.6 kilometres down the South Kaibab Trail.

A witness alerted the canyon's communication centre to report seeing a man being struck by a suspected lightning.

Paramedics were called to the area near Ooo-Aah Point at about 4pm but efforts to resuscitate the holidaymaker were unsuccessful, park spokeswoman Kirby-Lynn Shedlowski said.

He was confirmed dead at the scene.

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

The incident marks the eighth confirmed death at the park this year. On August 28, a 51-year-old Arizona man fell to his death while hiking near the Colorado River.

The canyon is one of the world's most frequented outdoor tourist venues and it attracted more than 4.7 million visitors in 2014.