Two hikers died and three others were injured after being struck by falling rocks in the Canadian Rockies in Canada’s Banff National Park.
The rocks fell near the park’s Bow Glacier Falls Thursday afternoon. The three injured hikers were taken to the hospital, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, while one of the other hikers was pronounced dead at the scene.
The killed hiker who was found Thursday has been identified as Jutta Hinrichs, 70. A second killed hiker was recovered Friday but has not been identified, according to the CBC.
Elly Jackson told the CBC that she heard a cracking sound and that the falling debris “looked like a multi-story building — a huge slab of rock. And I just saw it dropping and I think my instant thought was, ’I can’t survive that.’ … without hesitation, I just turned … I just ran as fast as I could away from it downhill, as fast as my legs would carry me.”
Another witness, Niclas Brundell, saw the dust cloud created by the falling rock obscure 15 to 30 people at the base of the falls. “The only place I’ve ever seen something similar is like watching videos from 9/11, when you see New York being cast over,” Mr. Brundell told The Canadian Press.
Ron Hallman, CEO of the Parks Canada agency that runs the country’s national parks, said: “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.”
