A woman in her 20s has died after falling hundreds of metres during a backcountry hiking trip in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. Canmore RCMP say officers were called around 4 p.m. on Tuesday to assist Parks Canada with a rescue involving a hiker who had fallen while traversing Mount Shark, southwest of Canmore, during a multi-day backcountry trip. Staff Sgt. Greg Tulloch said four people were completing what was intended to be a loop hike when the woman lost her footing and fell “a couple of hundred metres.” “The nature of the fall was essentially one that was unsurvivable,” Tulloch said. Members of the hiking party climbed down to the woman, attempted first aid and used an emergency messaging device to call for help. Tulloch said Parks Canada deployed rescue resources by helicopter, but strong winds prevented the aircraft from reaching the scene. STARS Air Ambulance and Alberta Emergency Health Services (EHS) were also called, but ultimately did not respond to the patient. STARS confirmed it was alerted to the incident but was stood down before takeoff because air ambulance transport was no longer required. EHS said paramedics were asked to stage at the Mount Shark helipad at about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday for an unfolding incident west of that location on Marvel Peak. Parks Canada later cancelled the response and the scene remained in Parks Canada’s care. EMS said crews had no contact with the patient. The woman’s identity has not been released. The death marks the second death in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains in the last week. Over the weekend, a 65-year-old Calgary man died after a fall on the Mount Temple scrambling route in Banff National Park.
