Hospitalized hiker recounts Bow Glacier Falls rockfall, remembers friend who died
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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'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.'
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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.
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Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Calgary Herald
'Most beautiful person': Dozens hike to honour woman killed in rockfall
Dozens walked through Calgary's Weaselhead Natural Area Thursday night to celebrate the life of Jutta Hinrichs, who was killed last month in a rockslide in Banff National Park. Article content More than 100 people hiked through the wooded area straddling the Glenmore Reservoir and Elbow River, a tribute to the esteem the 70-year-old Calgarian was held and her love of nature, said event co-organizer Tracy Aiello. Article content Article content Article content 'We are honouring her by walking together to share memories and have some quiet time in solidarity,' said Aiello. Article content Article content 'She was the most beautiful person all of us ever knew — she never had a bad thing to say about anyone.' Article content Hinrichs was killed when she was caught in a rockfall while hiking at Bow Glacier Falls, 40 kilometres north of Lake Louise on June 19. Article content Also dying in the incident was Moroccan emigre and Surrey, B.C., resident Hamza Benhilal, 33, while 13 others were injured or evacuated from the area overlooking scenic Bow Lake. Article content On Thursday evening, hikers passed around a photo album containing images of Hinrichs, who was an avid hiker and a much-respected occupational therapist. Article content 'It was such a sudden loss,' said Aiello. Article content An online invitation page for the hike offered to Hinrich's Slow and Steady Hikers group included a photo of the Calgarian gently admiring alpacas during a recent visit to Peru. Article content 'We hope this (walk) brings heart-healing to some and/or an opportunity to walk and talk it out to others,' it states. Article content 'Therefore we welcome you to walk quietly in camaraderie with others or visit and chat.' Article content That love of animals was reflected in the donations being collected at Weaselhead Thursday benefiting the Calgary Humane Society, to which Hinrichs devoted some of her time. Article content
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Section of Banff National Park remains closed to visitors two weeks after rockfall
A closed sign blocks the trail to Bow Glacier Falls north of Lake Louise, Alta., in Banff National Park on Friday, June 20, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh) A section of a trail in Banff National Park remains closed to visitors two weeks after a rockfall killed two hikers and injured three more. Parks Canada spokeswoman Amy Krause says an area around Bow Glacier Falls remains closed for a geotechnical assessment and adds there's no estimated reopening date. She says Parks Canada hasn't heard of anyone violating the closure order but adds that those who do could be ticketed or arrested. The agency says on its website that fines could be as high as $25,000. The area has been closed since June 19 after a rock slide along the popular hiking trail near the falls killed a Calgary woman and a man from B.C. Officials have said nothing could have prevented or predicted the slide as it was the result of geological forces common in mountainous areas. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 2, 2025. The Canadian Press
Global News
25-06-2025
- Global News
Brother of Alberta rock slide victim speaks about family's grief
He was the first one to wake up at 7 a.m. that fateful morning, saying, 'Let's get going, you don't want to be late.' Twenty-eight-year-old Khaled Elgamal recounted the excitement of his friend, 33-year-old Hamza Benhilal, ahead of their planned hike into Bow Glacier Falls, in Banff National Park, about 40 km north of Lake Louise, last Thursday, June 19, 2025. Fatefully, a third friend decided to stay behind and not go with the two men, who were visiting from Surrey, B.C. 'We started the hike — we took dozens of pictures,' said Elgamal. View image in full screen A photo of Hazma Benhilal (left) and Khaled Elgaml (right) at Bow Lake, the start of their hike into Bow Glacier Falls, on Thursday, June 19, 2025. Courtesy: Khaled Elgamal 'He (Benhilal) was very happy. We were talking to everybody passing by along the hike, saying hi, chatting about how was the waterfall, it was just a happy day for both of us,' added Elgamal. Story continues below advertisement 'We decided to climb up the mountain a little closer to the waterfall to take some photos from a better angle. We wanted to send them to our families back home. Then shortly after, we heard it very loud — it just looks like the mountain is falling apart. I saw a bunch of big rocks slamming the ground and rolling towards us,' said Elgamal. A large part of the mountain at the base of the falls gave way, around 1:30 p.m. Benhilal was killed by the falling rocks and Elgamal was forced to run for his life. He suffered a a broken pelvis and broken shoulder and had to be medevaced to hospital in Calgary. Elgamal credits his late friend for saving his life by yelling at him to run when the rocks began to slide. 1:46 Bow Glacier Falls rock slide witness calls scene 'pretty chaotic' Benhilal, from Morocco and Elgamal, from Egypt, met while studying online during the pandemic and eventually both came to work in Canada, where they became good friends and roommates. Story continues below advertisement 'My friend was like my brother, we pretty much lived together, supported each other, we were like each other's family,' said Elgamal. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I was in shock hearing the news (of his death). I was trying to grasp any hope that he made it out.' 'I was very sad. I remember I was even crying while I was being transported,' added Elgamal. View image in full screen 33-year-old Hazma Benhilal sits on the rocks in front of Bow Glacier Falls where a short time later a large part of the mountain gave way, taking his life. Courtesy: Khaled Elgamal Two people were killed in the slide. The body of 70-year-old Jutta Hinrichs, a retired university professor from Calgary, was recovered on Thursday. But search and rescue workers were unable to recover Benhilal's body from underneath the rubble until Friday morning, because the area was deemed too unstable. Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen A helicopter at the rock slide site near Bow Lake on Friday, June 20, 2025. Parks Canada On Tuesday, Benhilal's older brother arrived in Calgary to take his brother's body back to Morocco. Mohamed Benhilal said his brother, who moved to Surrey in 2022, loved Canada. 'He liked it so much,' said Benhilal, who added that his brother tried hard to convince other family members to come visit. 'He want the family to come here to see how beautiful Canada is — people he's saying are friendly — you can see smiles in the faces of people all the time. He liked the place very much.' View image in full screen Hamza Benhilal, seen here at the start of his hike into Bow Glacier Falls, 'liked Canada so much' said his older brother. Benhilal was originally from Morocco but moved to Canada in 2022. Courtesy: Khaled Elgamal Mohamed Benhilal managed to secure a visa to visit his brother in Canada a year ago, but hadn't used it — until he got news of his brother's death. Story continues below advertisement 'Friends called (but) I thought at first it was just spam or something. After I got the real (news) what happened, I had to say to myself that's the truth, this is the reality. I had to accept it, but his death is very shocking. For days we don't sleep or understand — all the memories of him come along.' View image in full screen On Tuesday, Mohamed Benhilal arrived in Calgary to take the body of his late brother back home to his family in Morocco. Global News Benhilal said his brother 'liked to travel — to try new things.' He also 'left a great impression on people.' 'He was just perfect. I mean he is (always) helpful. You need help — I can do that — he lives for people,' added Benhilal. View image in full screen 33-year-old Hamza Benhilal sits on rocks in front of the mountain at Bow Glacier Falls where, a short time later, a massive rock slide would take his life. Courtesy: Khaled Elgamal It is a sentiment shared by Elgamal who described his late friend as 'a very kind and caring person.' Story continues below advertisement 'He was never self-centred or showed any ego or anything like that. He would always support people; (it would) bring him satisfaction, just putting a smile on people's face,' said Elgamal. 'I've seen it myself many times — even when we played tennis and sometimes he would be coaching some beginners, and he would tell them, 'You're doing a great job.' He's always telling them keep going, stuff like that.' As the elder brother in the family, and the only one who already had a visa, Mohamed Benhilal was designated as the person to make the arrangements to return his brother's body to his family. 'I had to come here because my dad or mother or brothers, they can't — so I am the one who needs to do this job,' said Mohamed Benhilal. ' That's a small thing to do for my dead brother — the death of my brother. If they didn't find the body, that would be worse. Aat least they found the body; it will relieve (us) a little bit.' But getting the body back to Morocco will be expensive. The cost is estimated at about $13,000, so family and friends have set up a GoFundMe campaign to help raise the money. 'We're hopeful to catch some good hearts,' said Benhilal. 'Some good deeds from people who know the situation of this tragic death.' Story continues below advertisement 2:14 Friends, colleagues remember woman killed in Bow Glacier Falls rock slide
