Rescue teams are hard at work following a tragic rockfall incident that resulted in the deaths of two hikers in Banff National Park, located in the Canadian Rockies. The Bow Glacier Falls trail, measuring six miles (9 km) and known for its moderate difficulty, runs adjacent to Bow Lake.
The first victim, a 70-year-old woman from Calgary, was identified and recovered on Thursday, while the second victim was located on Friday, as reported by a collaborative statement from Parks Canada and the Lake Louise Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
Three additional hikers sustained injuries in the rockfall, with their conditions improving to stable after being transported to local hospitals, according to an update from the RCMP on Friday. Authorities have yet to confirm if there are other missing individuals in the vicinity.
The incident occurred Thursday afternoon, north of Lake Louise, approximately 124 miles (200 km) northwest of Calgary.
Ron Hallman, president and CEO of Parks Canada, expressed condolences, stating, “We are all heartbroken by the recent tragedy at Bow Glacier Falls in Banff National Park. On behalf of Parks Canada, my thoughts are with the families and friends of those who are affected.”
Footage circulated online depicts a substantial rock descending the mountainside, raising significant dust clouds in the process. In light of the events, Bow Lake has been closed, and a no-fly zone has been established over the area as rescue operations move forward.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith shared her support on social media, saying, “We are thinking of all those involved and wishing for their safety as we await further details.”
Eyewitness Niclas Brundell was on a hike with his wife when the rockfall occurred. “We heard this like ‘chunk’ noise and the whole roof of the wall came loose,” he recounted to CBC News. “And we just started sprinting down. I was yelling at my wife, ‘Go, go, go! We need to run as fast as we can.’ We just kept sprinting and I couldn’t see the people behind us anymore because they were all in that cloud of rock. And I saw rocks coming tumbling out of that. So it was big. It was, like, the full mountainside.” Mr. Brundell estimated that around 15 to 20 people were in the area at the time of the incident.