A 26-year-old man had a lucky escape when he fell through the ice at the top of Bow Falls and was flushed beneath the surface before popping out at the bottom of the notoriously treacherous Banff waterfall.
A 26-year-old man had a lucky escape when he fell through the ice at the top of Bow Falls and was flushed beneath the surface before popping out at the bottom of the notoriously treacherous Banff waterfall.
Aaron Beardmore, public safety specialist for Banff National Park, said the young man had scrambled down from Surprise Corner and fell through the ice at the top of the falls on Thursday (Dec. 3) afternoon.
“He scrambled down to the edge of the ice, walked out onto the ice, fell through at the top, fell under the ice and travelled down Bow Falls and resurfaced in a pool at the bottom - alive,” he said. “He is a very lucky guy. He was unscathed.”
Two bystanders saw what had happened and were able to wade into the river and pull him to safety.
“They helped him out of the water and walked him over to the edge, where he was met by Banff EMS and Parks Canada staff,” said Beardmore.
The situation could have gone terribly wrong.
“The flip side of that is being hung up under the ice, and the worse part being where high volumes flow right in the middle of the falls, and it would be hard to access them quickly or at all,” said Beardmore.
“If the individual had been hung up under the ice, it's probably not a survival situation so he's very lucky in that respect.”
Beardmore said although Bow Falls is located close to town, it's a very hazardous place where there have been several accidents over the years.
“There's thin ice, it's very slippery, there's a fall hazard, a drowning hazard and that combination of hazard makes it a place to enjoy from a distance,” he said.
“You don't have to venture onto the ice to see what's enjoyable close to Bow Falls.”
Last week's incident at Bow Falls comes five years after a climber fell through the ice while walking up Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park in December 2010.
The climber broke through the ice and was washed downstream beneath the ice for about 30 metres. Onlookers were able to put together a rope system to pull him out of the canyon.
“He was a lucky guy too,” said Beardmore.
Parks Canada rescuers were also called Friday (Dec. 4) when two skiers fell into the Pipestone River on their way to the Little Pipestone Cabin.
A call was made to the park dispatch centre after dark, but the group of three was able to light a fire and build a makeshift shelter until rescuers could fly in the following morning.
“One of the skiers fell in and got soaked and then one of the others in the group had to get into the water to assist him to get out,” said Beardmore. “So there were two saturated skiers on the side of the Pipestone.”
The group asked for a rescue when they radioed dispatch, and Parks Canada let them know they'd be there at first light the next morning.
“They had the capacity to build a fire and improvized shelter and were able to survive the night,” said Beardmore. “There were no injuries. They were just wet and cold.”
Beardmore warns that creeks and rivers are more open than they typically would be for this time of year.
“We advise people to be cautious while crossing and not count on them being iced,” he said.
