
'Run, run, run!' Hiker in hospital recounts Banff rockfall, mourns friend who died
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
The rockfall killed Benhilal, 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 killed in the rockfall.
Article content
In addition to two fractured bones, Elgamal said he suffered various cuts and bruises on his back and legs, and received stitches to 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
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
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.
Article content
After a recommendation from someone they met at the hotel where they were staying, Elgamal said the two decided on Thursday to check out Bow Lake and the Bow Glacier Falls, a popular hiking spot approximately 40 kilometres north of Lake Louise.
Article content
The rockfall occurred around 1 p.m., when Elgamal and Benhilal were taking photos of the scenic waterfall.
Though he blacked out a few times during the rockslide, Elgamal said he 'can recall pretty much everything' about it. He and Benhilal had just ascended higher up the cliff face to take better photos. He figures they were likely the highest people up the mountain when they heard a loud crack, right before large rocks started to tumble down the cliff toward them.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CTV News
43 minutes ago
- CTV News
Ottawa Fire Services hazmat team helps tackle transport truck fire in Stittsville
Ottawa Fire Servies says its hazardous materials (hazmat) team helped deal with a significant fuel leak after a transport truck caught fire in Stittsville Wednesday. Firefighters were called to a section of Iber Road, south of Hazeldean Road, at around 11:09 a.m. on reports a truck was on fire close to a building. The driver had made it out of the vehicle safely and told firefighters that the fuel tanks were approximately half-full and could contain up to 500 litres. A large amount of fuel was leaking because of the fire, Ottawa Fire Services spokesperson Nick DeFazio said. Hazmat crews used an absorbent called 'Oclansorb' to keep the fuel and oil floating on top of the water used to fight the fire from leaking into a nearby ditch. The fire was declared under control at 11:27 a.m. and was kept from spreading to the nearby building. DeFazio said the Ministry of Environment was notified and they called in a cleanup company to the scene. Firefighters left the scene at around 1:30 p.m.


CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Focus on fruit. Feeding the children with the Saskatoon Food Bank
Watch The latest from the Saskatoon Food Bank, including the Fresh Fruit for Kids program.


CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Man arrested after allegedly firing gun into air and throwing knives in Oshawa: police
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.