“Run, Run”: A Survivor’s Story From the Bow Glacier Falls Rockslide

Khaled El Gamal doesn’t remember how long he lay on the mountainside, bloodied and alone, but he remembers the voice. His best friend—now deceased—was yelling at him to run as rocks thundered down from above on what began as a scenic hike to Bow Glacier Falls.

What was supposed to be a joyful first visit to Banff ended in devastation. The two friends, both immigrants to Canada since 2022, had travelled from Vancouver to explore the Rockies. A spontaneous recommendation over breakfast led them to Bow Lake. That change of course would become a matter of fate.

Then, a sound. Then, terror.

Rocks struck Khaled’s legs, knocking him down. He shielded his head with his arms, trying to protect himself as the slide tore past. Miraculously, he survived.

Bloodied and barely conscious, he scrambled down the mountain alone, calling for help. Passersby helped cover him and kept him talking. A STARS air ambulance lifted him to hospital.

But his friend—his classmate, business partner, and chosen family—was later found dead beneath the debris.

A Tragedy With No Warning

The rockslide struck just before 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 19, at the midpoint of the Bow Glacier Falls trail, about 37 km north of Lake Louise. Witnesses described a deafening crack and the horrifying sight of an entire slab of cliff peeling off the mountainside—about the size of an apartment building—and pulverizing the trail below.

One woman watching from across the lake described the chaos to Global News: “As I’m watching it, I realized there were people. That’s when I threw the phone in my backpack and ran to see if I could help.”

Parks Canada estimates at least 13 hikers were injured or involved in the incident, though only three required hospitalization. Two people were killed, including 70-year-old Jutta Hinrichs, a retired University of Alberta professor. The second fatality has not been publicly identified, in accordance with a request from the family.

More than 100 emergency personnel responded, including RCMP, Banff and Jasper visitor safety teams, search dogs, helicopters, and two STARS Air Ambulances. Some hikers were long-lined out by helicopter; others walked to safety. It took until the following morning to recover both bodies, due to continued instability in the debris field.

Could It Have Been Prevented?

Geologists say no.

According to Parks Canada and independent experts, this was a classic case of “wrong place, wrong time.” Water from Iceberg Lake, which sits above the falls, had slowly seeped through the cliff face for decades. Eventually, it exerted enough pressure to dislodge a slab of rock. The exact moment it would fall? Impossible to predict.

Even with satellite imagery, RECCO detectors, search dogs, thermal drones, and slope assessments by Canada Task Force Two, officials found no sign that the slide could have been foreseen. Experts like Dr. Daniel Shugar, a geomorphologist at the University of Calgary, told The Canadian Press:

Climate Change and the Future of the Trail

While no one can say climate change “caused” this specific slide, experts point to a broader link: warming temperatures are accelerating glacier melt, changing water levels, and destabilizing mountain slopes once frozen in place by permafrost or glacial ice.

Bow Lake and the surrounding area reopened the day after the incident, but the trail to Bow Glacier Falls remains closed indefinitely. Parks Canada says it will conduct further geotechnical reviews before making decisions on reopening.

One professor suggested signage in the future to warn hikers: don’t linger under the cliff face. Enjoy the view—but from a distance.

One Step Forward

As for Khaled, he continues to recover in hospital, physically healing while trying to come to terms with the mental trauma.

He hopes authorities will recognize and reward their trauma and bravery in supporting one another under the threat of further slides.