Man 'dies by suicide' after driving car off the Grand Canyon's 4,000ft-high western rim

 A man reportedly died by suicide after driving his car over the western rim of the Grand Canyon, officials said.  

An unidentified man drove his car into the canyon on Wednesday, Grand Canyon West, best known for having the Skywalk attraction that overlooks the Colorado River, confirmed. Police have not released information on the victim's identity. 

Lea Cooper, the marketing director for the Grand Canyon Resort Corporation, said the incident involved a male who appeared to intentionally drive over the rim. 

No one else was in the vehicle, Cooper said.

'Details are still unfolding, [but] based on the nature of the course of action of the individual, we do believe that it was an intentional event,' Cooper told People on Thursday. 

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An unidentified man drove his car off western rim of the Grand Canyon on Wednesday, Grand Canyon West confirmed 

'This is still an active investigation and we will provide updates as they become available,' Cooper said.

'These are certainly challenging times,' Cooper told People. 'The entire Hualapai community sends thoughts of peace and healing for the individual's family and friends.' 

The corporation oversees Grand Canyon West, a popular tourist attraction on the Hualapai Reservation outside the boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park. 

'The Hualapai people consider the canyon a place of sacred beauty and healing, and we are devastated by this tragedy,' Ruby Steele, the corporation's interim chief executive and a Hualapai member, said in a statement.

Grand Canyon West is known for its skywalk attraction (pictured) that juts out 70 feet from the canyon walls to allow visitors to view the Colorado River. Located on the Hualapai Reservation, the Hualapai Police Department is investigating the matter and recovering the man's body and vehicle

Officials with Grand Canyon West said they are fully cooperating with the Hualapai Police Department, which is investigating the incident, and on the recovery of the man's body and his vehicle.

The attraction is best known for the Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped glass bridge that juts out 70 feet from the canyon walls and gives visitors a view of the Colorado River 4,000 feet below. 

The Canyon and the river have deep threads in the Hualapai tribe's history. The lower 108 miles of the Canyon and parts of the Colorado River are situated on the Hualapai Reservation. 

The tribe owned seven million acres of land until 1883, where they agreed to downsize to one million, including the 108 miles of the Canyon. Their ancestral land started at the Little Colorado River and downstream through the entire Grand Canyon, according to Grand Canyon West. 

There has been several deaths in the Grand Canyon. In 2008, the park led the country's national parks in suicides, according to the Arizona Daily Sun. 

Many suicides are from people jumping off the ledge, but there have been several who drove the cars off. 

Roughly 12 people a year die in the Grand Canyon for various reasons, including falling, drowning and suicide.  

DailyMail.com contacted the Hualapai Police Department. 

If you are thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.