NEW : ` ` It was just a freakish accident , '' mother - in - law says . NEW : John Paul Anderson , 53 , falls about 350 feet off the South Rim . He was traveling with his family from Seattle . The National Park Service and a medical examiner are called .
NEW : `` It was just a freakish accident , '' sister-in-law says . NEW : John N. Anderson , 53 , falls about 350 feet off the South Rim . He was visiting with his family from Texas . The National Park Service and a medical examiner are investigating .