LAKE LOUISE — Search teams located a second body Friday following a massive rockfall off a hiking trail in Banff National Park.
“RCMP are notifying their next of kin and no further information is available at this time,” read a statement issued by Mounties and Parks Canada.
A 70-year-old woman from Calgary was first found dead at the site of Thursday's rock slide at Bow Glacier Falls, north of Lake Louise.
Three others were taken to hospital and were reported in stable condition.
Officials said no one else has been reported missing and there are no unidentified vehicles at the trailhead.
“Parks Canada and RCMP extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the two individuals who lost their lives. Our hearts are with them. Our thoughts also remain with those in hospital and we hope for their full recovery,” said the statement.
Teams have been using aircraft with infrared sensors to search the debris field at the site, and a geotechnical engineer has also been brought in to check the stability of the mountainside.
They were working with Canada Task Force 2, a national disaster response team that employs rescue specialists from doctors and paramedics to dog teams, searchers and structural engineers.
The slide happened Thursday afternoon by the Bow Glacier Falls hiking trail, 200 kilometres northwest of Calgary.
It’s a nine-kilometre route running 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.
Niclas Brundell lives in nearby Canmore and works as a trail guide. He told The Canadian Press in an interview 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 turned around, and the whole mountainside is coming off."
He said the slab seemed about 50 metres wide and 20 metres 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.
"It was a terrifying situation. If we hadn't ran, we would've been crushed by that wall."
Evidence of the rockfall was visible from across the lake. The side of the mountain near a waterfall was darkened and worn, except for a large patch that was significantly lighter, where a heap of debris lay below.
The Bow Lake area was closed during the search but has now reopened. Bow Glacier Falls remains closed, and drivers were told there could be possible delays on the nearby Icefields Parkway.
“Banff National Park remains open and safe to visit,” said the joint statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.
Matthew Scace, The Canadian Press
