Hospitalized hiker recounts Bow Glacier Falls rockfall, remembers friend who died
Article content
An injured survivor in last Thursday's fatal rockfall in Banff National Park is remembering his friend Hamza Benhilal, who died in the tragedy, as a kind, generous person who was always there when needed.
Article content
Khaled Elgamal, 28, was one of two hikers airlifted by STARS air ambulance to the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary after suffering a broken pelvis and shoulder blade, as well as other injuries. He said he and Benhilal, who were visiting from Vancouver, were taking photos of the Bow Glacier Falls right before the disaster struck.
Article content
Article content
Article content
The rockfall killed Benhilal, who was 33, and Calgarian Jutta Hinrichs, who was 70. Benhilal's body was recovered by a search-and-rescue team Friday morning. Thirteen other hikers were injured or evacuated, including Elgamal, who is still in hospital.
Article content
Article content
Article content
While Parks Canada didn't release Benhilal's name, the agency did confirm Monday morning that a 33-year-old resident of Surrey, B.C. was the second hiker to have died in the rockfall.
Article content
In addition to two fractured bones, Elgamal said he suffered various cuts and contusions on his back and legs, and received stitches on his forehead.
Article content
Elgamal said he and Benhilal both immigrated to Canada in 2022, and studied together for their MBAs. Elgamal is originally from Egypt, while Benhilal was from Morocco. Elgamal works as a financial advisor, while Benhilal was a network engineer. They were roommates in Surrey, B.C.
Article content
Article content
Benhilal was a good listener and mature beyond his years, according to Elgamal. He added his friend was well travelled and respected by his peers. Benhilal enjoyed playing tennis and would be very encouraging to new players of the sport.
Article content
'People would always approach him when they had problems,' Elgamal said. 'He was a very good listener and talked in a very mature way, always there whenever you needed him. Never did I ever ask him for something and he was not there for me.'
Article content
Having planned a trip to Alberta, Elgamal said they intended to visit Banff as well as some of the scenic lakes in the Bow Valley, including Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
20 hours ago
- Global News
Banff rock slide survivor says friend who died saved his life: ‘I'm still shocked'
A survivor of a rock slide last week in Banff National Park is remembering his 33-year-old roommate, who didn't make it out alive from under the rubble, as a kind and generous friend. Khaled Elgamal says Hamza Benhilal of Surrey, B.C., was one of two people who died after a slab of mountain gave way Thursday, raining rock down on hikers at Bow Glacier Falls, about 40 kilometres north of Lake Louise, Alta. in Banff National Park. 'He was my friend but also like my big brother,' said 28-year-old Elgamal, in an interview Monday from a hospital bed in Calgary where he is recovering from a fractured pelvis and shoulder, cuts and scrapes. 'I'm still shocked,' said Elgamal. 'I'm still getting flashbacks of the scene.' View image in full screen Khaled Elgamal and Hamza Benhilal are shown in this handout photo. Elgamal (left) who survived a rock slide in Banff National Park, credits his 33-year-old friend Benhilal, who didn't make it out alive, for saving his life. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Khaled Elgamal He said he met Benhilal in 2022 when they were enrolled in the same online master of business administration program at University Canada West. Story continues below advertisement Elgamal was living in Egypt and Benhilal was in Morocco, but they both moved to B.C. in 2022 and became housemates. Elgamal, now a financial adviser, and Benhilal, an engineer, had just arrived in Banff for a vacation and a hotel worker recommended they visit Bow Glacier Falls, as the site's parking lot is usually less crowded. 'We didn't even have it on our bucket list for that day. We were planning to go to Lake Louise,' Elgamal said. He said a third friend on the trip decided to stay behind at the hotel, and he and Benhilal drove to the falls. 1:46 Bow Glacier Falls rock slide witness calls scene 'pretty chaotic' 'We took a bunch of pictures at the lake first and then started the hike to the waterfall.' Story continues below advertisement Shortly afterward, while still on the mountain, Elgamal said they heard a loud sound. 'It sounded like a thunderstorm.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy When he turned around, Elgamal said he saw a large boulder fall from the mountain and shatter into pieces when it hit the ground. Benhilal was in front of him and screamed at Elgamal to run. 'He saved me by screaming,' Elgamal said. 'I froze like a deer in headlights.' Elgamal said he turned and ran a few steps, and a rock hit his feet and he fell to the ground. He looked up and saw his friend for the last time running and eventually disappearing in the dust. View image in full screen Two people were killed and three others were injured in the rock slide that happened last Thursday (June 19, 2025) at Bow Glacier Falls in Banff National Park. Parks Canada Elgamal said he was in and out of consciousness on the ground as stones hit his head and body. 'Every time a rock was hitting me, I was blacking out.' Story continues below advertisement The slide eventually stopped and Elgamal stayed on the ground, breathing heavily. 'I was bleeding and looking around,' he said. He then forced himself to get up. With a bleeding head, wobbly legs and in severe pain, Elgamal said he made his way through the dust and down the mountain. He slipped on some wet stones on his way down but continued following the sound of others screaming at the base. Other hikers came running to him and told him to lie down and breathe, and they put their jackets on him. 'I was soaked in blood and barely managing myself,' he said, adding he vomited a few times. 'It was the most painful experience I've had.' Elgamal told the others that he couldn't find his friend. He learned on Saturday that Benhilal was killed. Parks Canada said the body was recovered from the rubble on Friday. View image in full screen 70-year-old Jutta Hinrichs, a retired university professor from Calgary, was also killed in the rock slide at Bow Glacier Falls, about 40 kilometres north of Lake Louise, in Banff National Park. Provided to Global News Another hiker, Jutta Hinrichs, a 70-year-old retired university professor from Calgary, was found dead at the site the day of the rock slide. Story continues below advertisement 2:14 Friends, colleagues remember woman killed in Bow Glacier Falls rock slide Officials with Parks Canada have said there was nothing that could have prevented or predicted the slide and that it was the result of geological forces common in mountain areas. The area around the falls remained closed Monday. The Bow Glacier Falls hiking trail is a nine-kilometre route that runs along the edges of Bow Lake and is used by tourists and day-trippers. Elgamal said hospital workers have told him he will likely be discharged in the coming days. He said Benhilal's mother and one of his five brothers are set to arrive in Alberta this week to arrange his funeral. Elgamal said he can't believe his friend is gone, and he has been having nightmares about the rockfall every night since it happened. Story continues below advertisement Support and visits from other hikers who helped him at the site of the slide have helped, he said.
Calgary Herald
2 days ago
- Calgary Herald
Hospitalized hiker recounts Bow Glacier Falls rockfall, remembers friend who died
Article content An injured survivor in last Thursday's fatal rockfall in Banff National Park is remembering his friend Hamza Benhilal, who died in the tragedy, as a kind, generous person who was always there when needed. Article content Khaled Elgamal, 28, was one of two hikers airlifted by STARS air ambulance to the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary after suffering a broken pelvis and shoulder blade, as well as other injuries. He said he and Benhilal, who were visiting from Vancouver, were taking photos of the Bow Glacier Falls right before the disaster struck. Article content Article content Article content The rockfall killed Benhilal, who was 33, and Calgarian Jutta Hinrichs, who was 70. Benhilal's body was recovered by a search-and-rescue team Friday morning. Thirteen other hikers were injured or evacuated, including Elgamal, who is still in hospital. Article content Article content Article content While Parks Canada didn't release Benhilal's name, the agency did confirm Monday morning that a 33-year-old resident of Surrey, B.C. was the second hiker to have died in the rockfall. Article content In addition to two fractured bones, Elgamal said he suffered various cuts and contusions on his back and legs, and received stitches on his forehead. Article content Elgamal said he and Benhilal both immigrated to Canada in 2022, and studied together for their MBAs. Elgamal is originally from Egypt, while Benhilal was from Morocco. Elgamal works as a financial advisor, while Benhilal was a network engineer. They were roommates in Surrey, B.C. Article content Article content Benhilal was a good listener and mature beyond his years, according to Elgamal. He added his friend was well travelled and respected by his peers. Benhilal enjoyed playing tennis and would be very encouraging to new players of the sport. Article content 'People would always approach him when they had problems,' Elgamal said. 'He was a very good listener and talked in a very mature way, always there whenever you needed him. Never did I ever ask him for something and he was not there for me.' Article content Having planned a trip to Alberta, Elgamal said they intended to visit Banff as well as some of the scenic lakes in the Bow Valley, including Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.
CBC
13-06-2025
- CBC
Two female grizzlies killed by trains in Banff National Park
The death of two female grizzly bears on the railway line in Banff National Park is a significant blow to the population, according to a Parks Canada ecologist. The two bears were killed in separate incidents last month and reported to Parks Canada by Canadian Pacific Kansas City. Saundi Stevens, the acting wildlife ecologist with Parks Canada's Lake Louise Yoho and Kootenay field unit, said one of deaths happened on the evening of May 27. The other happened in the early morning of May 30. "The ecological significance of losing, especially breeding-age females, it just can't be overstated," Stevens said. "They're particularly slow to reproduce. Yeah, that slow reproductive rate just means that grizzly bear populations can't quickly recover from the losses of these breeding females." Parks Canada says the first incident involved a breeding female grizzly who was with a well-known male bear, known as Bear 122, or The Boss, at the time. "Male 122 that was with that first bear, he was uninjured, but he's quite familiar with the tracks and his core home range is in the Bow Valley, so he's quite often in and around the train tracks," she said.
