Tourist experiences scary close call at Grand Canyon edge

A viral video circulating on social media shows the heart-stopping scene between a mother and daughter posing for a photo during a hike at the Grand Canyon.

Featured on ABC News on Friday, the video shows Emily Koford, 20, taking a few cautious steps backward to take a picture of her mom on a rock at the edge of the Grand Canyon's rim. Suddenly, she takes half a step too far back and slips.

"My stomach went up into my chest," Erin Koford, Emily's mother, told ABC News.

Fortunately, Emily's foot landed on a slightly lower rock and she was able to balance herself quickly with her hands.

"I don't think she was really aware of how dangerous that was. I could see exactly what would happen if she fell," her mom said.

The whole ordeal was filmed by a fellow hiker, Kevin Fox, who saw the two taking turns posing on the rock and told ABC News he started filming as a warning video for his kids. Fox said he gasped when he caught Emily's stumble on film.

According to the Grand Canyon's website, falling is not the attraction's most common fatal hazard. The odds of falling are one in 400,000 visitors — dying of heat or dehydration should be far more pressing concerns. A 2012 article in the Arizona Daily Sun says that young men have the highest risk of falling at the Grand Canyon. Out of 55 people who have accidentally fallen, 39 were male and eight of them were caused by jumping to different rocks or posing for a picture.

Emily is reportedly fine and the event has not deterred her from ever hiking or visiting the Grand Canyon again. She helped share the video as a warning for future travelers when taking pictures.