1 found dead, 3 taken to hospital following rockfall in Banff National Park
Numerous hikers were caught in a rockfall north of Lake Louise with at least one dead and three injured, according to the RCMP and Parks Canada.
At around 1:30 p.m., Lake Louise RCMP were notified that "multiple hikers" were caught in a rockfall near Bow Glacier Falls.
A joint statement by RCMP and Parks Canada confirmed one person was found deceased at the scene, and three were evacuated to the hospital: one by ground ambulance and two by STARS Air Ambulance. The conditions of those taken to hospital have not been shared at this time.
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Search and recovery operations, involving both drones and dogs, will continue until dark and will resume tomorrow, the release said.
Parks Canada, the Lake Louise fire department, STARS Air Ambulance, the RCMP and EMS responded to the scene.
According to STARS, two helicopters were dispatched — STAR-1 from Calgary and STAR-3 from Edmonton — and transported one patient each to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary.
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A closure is in place for Bow Lake, located about 37 kilometres north of Lake Louise on the Icefields Parkway, also known as Highway 93 North. A no-fly zone is also in place over the area.
Bow Glacier Falls is located about three kilometres to the southwest of Bow Lake and is accessible via a popular hiking trail.
Banff National Park and the Icefields Parkway are open, though drivers can expect intermittent short-term traffic stoppages around the vicinity of Bow Lake.
'We need to run as fast as we can'
Canmore resident Niclas Brundell was out hiking in the area with his wife when the rockfall happened.
He told CBC News they had scrambled up to an area to the right of the falls, where several other groups were also exploring and taking photos. He estimates about 15 to 20 people were in the immediate area.
He and his wife became alarmed when several small rocks started to fall, and they began to move away from the area.
"Then we heard this like 'chunk' noise and the whole roof of the wall came loose," he said, referring to an overhanging section of rock on the cliffs next to the waterfalls.
"And we just started sprinting down. I was yelling at my wife, 'Go, go, go! We need to run as fast as we can.'"
A photo of Bow Glacier Falls taken by a hiker shortly after a large section of rock fell from the cliffs beside it on June 19, 2025. The hiker said the section that fell is to the right of the falls in this image. (Contributed by Niclas Brundell)
When Brundell looked back over his shoulder, he said he saw a cloud of dust and debris forming as the rock crashed into the slopes below.
"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, it was big. It was, like, the full mountainside."
"To me it looked like at least, like 50 metres wide and at least 10 metres deep."
When they got to a safe distance, Brundell used an emergency satellite device to call for help, informing responders that there were "many groups" in the area where the rock fell.
"It's awful," he said.
'We are all heartbroken'
In a social media post, Parks Canada offered "its deepest condolences to those impacted" by the "tragic rockfall."
"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," said Ron Hallman, president and CEO of Parks Canada.
Edmonton Centre MP and Minister of Emergency Management Eleanor Olszewski expressed her concern for those affected by the incident in a social media post Thursday afternoon.
"My heart is with everyone affected by the rock slide near Bow Glacier Falls in Banff. Grateful to Parks Canada, STARS air ambulance, and all first responders supporting the emergency response," her post on X said.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she was "deeply saddened to learn of the tragic event."
"We are thinking of all those involved and wishing for their safety as we await further details," she posted on X.
This article, written by Robson Fletcher, was originally published for CBC News