Second body found at Bow Glacier Falls after rockslide, search called off

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) recovered a second body on Friday morning following Thursday’s deadly rockslide near Bow Glacier Falls. A massive rockfall swept down a mountainside on Thursday, close to Bow Glacier Falls on the Icefields Parkway, roughly 124 miles northwest of Calgary. The incident initially claimed one life and injured three hikers.

Emergency crews responded immediately, including STARS Air Ambulance and the RCMP. Two injured hikers were airlifted to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, and another was taken by ambulance. Their conditions were not released.

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Authorities confirmed one hiker, a retired occupational therapist from the University of Alberta, was killed at the scene. On Friday morning, rescue teams resumed the search and discovered a second deceased hiker.

Park officials stated that no additional hikers are missing. No unidentified vehicles were at the trailhead, indicating that the victims were among those already reported. RCMP confirmed that the next of kin have been notified.

Parks Canada has urged the public to avoid the area around Bow Lake and Icefields Parkway. Airspace over the site remains closed to facilitate rescue teams. The Icefields Parkway remains open, though travel delays are expected.

Geotechnical engineers are conducting slope stability assessments, and infrared drone flights are underway to ensure no further victims remain.

Local officials, including Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, expressed their condolences. “We are thinking of all those involved and wishing for their safety as we await further details,” she said.

The Bow Glacier Falls trail is a 9 km moderate-grade hiking route along Bow Lake. It is popular with families and day hikers.

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About 400 kilometers south of Bow Glacier Falls, the tragic rockslide in Frank, Alberta, on April 29, 1903, reminds us of the dangers of such events.

In just two minutes, 110 million tons of limestone fell from Turtle Mountain, burying parts of the town, the Canadian Pacific Railway, and a coal mine, resulting in at least 70 deaths. Remarkably, 17 miners escaped the rubble that day.