Airdrie Woman Dies in Fall While Scrambling in Kananaskis Country

A 47-year-old Airdrie woman died in a fall on Mount Bryant in Kananaskis Country on Saturday.

RCMP said the woman was hiking with a group when she fell. Officers were called to the scene at about 10:30 a.m.

Riley Gough, press secretary for Alberta Forestry and Parks, said Kananaskis Emergency Services, Alberta Parks' Kananaskis Mountain Rescue team, Alberta Conservation Officer Service, ALTA Paramedic Health and RCMP responded to a scrambling incident on Mount Bryant in Elbow-Sheep Wildland Provincial Park. Gough said the individual was located by helicopter before the medical examiner confirmed the fatality. STARS Air Ambulance was dispatched to the scene but was not required for patient transport.

"One person was determined to be deceased," said Adam Loria of ALTA Paramedic Health.

Friends identified the woman as Katie Heaven, a realtor with MaxWell Capital Realty in Airdrie who was active in both the local community and the hiking and scrambling community.

In a Facebook post, business partner Kelli Ellingson said Heaven was the kind of person who left a lasting impression on those around her. Ellingson said there was comfort in knowing her friend died doing something she loved and described Heaven as someone who "lived with passion, purpose and a spirit that inspired everyone around her."

"There are some people who come into your life and leave footprints on your heart forever. She was one of those people," Ellingson wrote.

Fellow hiker Stephanie Salerno also described Heaven as a welcoming presence in the mountain community who made others feel included and supported on the trail.

"Katie had an incredible way of making everyone feel like they were a part of the group, and her smile was as infectious as her love for the mountains," said Salerno.

No other injuries were reported, and police have not released additional details as the incident remains under investigation.