BURSTOfficials in Alberta say two men died during separate hikes in Banff National Park last week, including a 24-year-old from Jasper and a 33-year-old from Calgary. RCMP Sgt. Susan Richter said the 24-year-old was reported missing Wednesday afternoon after his satellite tracker stopped moving. A Parks Canada helicopter crew found him dead near Recondite Peak, a remote area that is accessed by about 10 people a year.
The man had started his hike Monday and was found with climbing equipment and a helmet. Richter said he was an experienced trekker who worked as a hiking guide and had been off duty when he died. RCMP have not released the cause of death.
The second death was reported Saturday near the Beehive Mountain. Police said the 33-year-old had been hiking with friends when the group became separated. His friends initially believed they were simply travelling at different speeds, but when he failed to meet them, they tried to contact him and reported him missing. He was later found dead.
Richter said deaths in Alberta’s backcountry are not uncommon during the summer and can involve falls, avalanches and rapidly changing weather. In July, a 65-year-old Calgary hiker died after falling on Mount Temple, while a 26-year-old woman died days earlier after a fall in Kananaskis Country. Last year, two people were killed and 10 injured in a rock slide near Banff’s Bow Glacier Falls Trail, which has since reopened with warnings to avoid hazardous areas.
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