Pages

Monday, July 30, 2012

Two Dead in Canmore, AB Rock Climbing Accident

A fatal rock climbing accident happened near Canmore, Alberta, Canada.
Witnesses reported the fall of a man and woman in their twenties while climbing a wall above Heart Mountain Creek.

CANMORE — The bodies of two unidentified climbers have been recovered after the pair fell to their death Sunday from a rock face near Heart Creek Trail east of Canmore.
A woman and a man, both in their 20s, fell while climbing a steep wall on the west side of Heart Mountain Creek, tumbling about 80 to 90 metres into a dry creek bed below.
Hikers who came upon the fallen climbers called 911, RCMP said.

Here's what Global News, Edmonton had to report (includes video footage - just click on the image above):

“They were climbers actively rock climbing. It is unclear what was going on at the time of the fall,” said EMS spokesperson Stuart Brideaux.

The pair are believed to have fallen more than 100-metres.

“It’s a very significant height,” Brideaux said. “It was a witnessed fall and EMS were activated immediately.”

Canmore EMS and a conservation officer hiked to where the pair were believed to have fallen about two kilometres from the trailhead just off the Trans Canada highway east of Lac Des Arcs.

“Both were deceased as a result of injuries sustained in the fall,” said Brideaux.

RCMP is on the scene and alpine helicopters have been dispatched to retrieve the fallen climbers.

Heart Creek Trail is a popular hiking, scrambling and rock climbing area near Canmore.


Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the dead climbers.