A man in his mid-twenties suffered life threatening injuries after a group he was rock climbing with were hit by a falling tree near Lake Louise on June 12.
A man in his mid-twenties suffered life threatening injuries after a group he was rock climbing with were hit by a falling tree near Lake Louise on June 12.
The group was climbing the Outhouse Wall at the Back of the Lake climbing area when high winds toppled a tree 80 to 100 metres above them, according to an incident report published by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides.
The tree hit the group of climbers standing at the bottom, critically injuring one of the climbers. Two others sustained moderate injuries.
ACMG mountain guide Mike Stuart was in the immediate area and provided emergency care until Parks Canada arrived.
STARS air ambulance confirmed it was dispatched to Mineral Springs Hospital in Banff to transport the male, who was in critical condition, to the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary.
The accident is the third serious backcountry incident in the past two weeks after a 58-year-old Calgary man died while hiking in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park on June 3 and a 26-year-old man died while climbing Tunnel Mountain on June 8.
The rock climbing area has not been closed because there is no "hang-fire" or residual hazard left from the tree that fell, however, a flight over the area indicated that there are dozens of dead trees above the climbing area, specifically above the Outhouse Wall.
The ACMG is reminding climbers to always wear a helmet and consider leaving the area in periods of high wind to reduce your risk.
Parks Canada was not immediately available to provide more details.
