Calgary, Alberta — A second body was recovered two days after falling rocks struck people on a hiking trail in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies.
The slide happened Thursday afternoon, north of Lake Louise on the Icefields Parkway, about 124 miles northwest of Calgary. Authorities said Thursday that one person was killed and three were injured.
In a news release issued late Friday, Banff National Park said that two people were dead and that the three people had been “seriously injured and transported to hospital.” The hospitalized hikers were reported to be in stable condition. An estimated 100 personnel responded to the incident, the park said.
Thirteen other bystanders “did not require transport by ambulance” but were evacuated from the rockfall site, Banff National Park said. Officials said no one else has been reported missing and there are no unidentified vehicles at the trailhead.
“Our thoughts remain with those in hospital and we hope for their full recovery,” Banff National Park said.
The six-mile hiking trail where the rockfall occurred runs along the edges of Bow Lake and is considered a moderate challenge for hikers and is used by tourists and day-trippers, including families. It’s a region with limited cellular service. The park and lake are open and safe to visit, the park said, but the area around Bow Glacier Falls remains closed “until further notice.”
“Mountain areas carry inherent risks which may never be fully mitigated,” the park said. “Rockfalls of this size are rare. However, we encourage everyone in mountain areas to be aware of their surroundings, be prepared, and carry a satellite communications device.”
1 victim identified
The University of Alberta confirmed one of the two people killed in the rockfall in Banff National Park was retired educator Jutta Hinrichs, who was a leader in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. Parks Canada officials say she was 70 and lived in Calgary.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she was deeply saddened by the incident. “We are thinking of all those involved and wishing for their safety as we await further details,” she said in a post on the social media platform X.
An “unimaginable” rockfall
Niclas Brundell, a trail guide who lives in nearby Canmore, said he was hiking in the area with his wife Thursday when they both started seeing concerning signs of rocks tumbling and boulders the size of tires starting to fall.
“This was unimaginable to me, that such a big piece of mountain would fall off,” he said.
As rocks started rolling at the top of the waterfall, he said, they didn’t hit anyone, but he and his wife wondered why nobody seemed to be reacting.
“Then all of a sudden, I hear the start of another rockfall, and I turn around, and the whole mountainside is coming off.”
He said the slab seemed about 164 feet wide and 60 feet deep, and he and his wife started sprinting.
When he turned around, he could see a group of between 15 and 30 people at the waterfall disappear under a cloud of dust.
“The only place I’ve ever seen something similar is like watching videos from 9-11, when you see New York being cast over,” he said.
He said there was a roar, “and I just didn’t see them anymore.”
Brundell said when they got far enough to feel safe, he sent a satellite message to Parks Canada, while his wife ran to a nearby lodge to call for help.
He said it’s a popular trail because it’s considered relatively easy, and on any given summer day there are 15 people or more hiking the trail.
