'Most beautiful person': Dozens hike to honour woman killed in rockfall
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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.
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'We are honouring her by walking together to share memories and have some quiet time in solidarity,' said Aiello.
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'She was the most beautiful person all of us ever knew — she never had a bad thing to say about anyone.'
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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.
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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.
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On Thursday evening, hikers passed around a photo album containing images of Hinrichs, who was an avid hiker and a much-respected occupational therapist.
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'It was such a sudden loss,' said Aiello.
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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.
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'We hope this (walk) brings heart-healing to some and/or an opportunity to walk and talk it out to others,' it states.
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'Therefore we welcome you to walk quietly in camaraderie with others or visit and chat.'
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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.
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Calgary Herald
3 days 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
Calgary Herald
23-06-2025
- 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.
Global News
21-06-2025
- Global News
Alberta woman killed in rock slide remembered as ‘gracious person'
Friend, colleague, educator, leader, mentor — those are just a few of the accolades lauded upon Jutta Hinrichs by those who knew her. The 70-year old woman from Calgary has been identified as one of the people killed in the devastating rock slide at Bow Glacier Falls, about 40 km north of Lake Louise along the Icefields Parkway on Wednesday. Emergency crews were called to the area in Banff National Park around 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Two people who had been hiking in the area, and were injured in the rock slide, were airlifted to hospital. Another was taken to hospital by ground ambulance, while Hinrichs died at the scene. On Friday, the body of a second victim was also recovered but has not yet been identified until next of kin is notified. Story continues below advertisement 0:51 Second person dead after Banff National Park rock slide An avid hiker, who loved the mountains, Hinrichs' friends say she was 'a beautiful, caring soul with a huge smile and love of people and nature.' She had just returned to Canada last Friday from a trip to Peru. View image in full screen Friends of Hinrichs tell Global News that she was an avid hiker who loved the mountains. Provided to Global News Hinrichs was also a well-known and accomplished occupational therapist. Story continues below advertisement Her contributions to the profession of occupational therapy, which spanned five decades, were recognized last year with a lifetime achievement award. View image in full screen Robin Telasky, executive director for the Society of Alberta Occupational Therapists, was a friend of Hinrichs for 18 years and describes her as 'an outstanding leader' and a 'gracious person.' Global News 'It's such a tragic loss to occupational therapy in Canada because Yuda was such an outstanding leader and such a gracious person who was always giving up her time, not just to her colleagues, but as a volunteer as well — and she spent so many years working with O.T. students and providing that critical mentorship to young people,' said Robin Telasky, executive director for the Society of Alberta Occupational Therapists who was a friend of Hinrichs for 18 years. 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 'It's really hard to think of an occupational therapist who would not have been touched in some way by Yuda,' added Telasky, 'which is why she received the Lifetime Achievement Award just last year.' Hinrich's was also the recipient of many awards for her volunteer work, including an outstanding community volunteer award from the United Way Society of Calgary and the Queen's Jubilee medallion from the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. Story continues below advertisement The office of the vice-president of external relations at the University of Alberta also provided a statement to Global News on the passing of Hinrichs, who was a professor in the faculty of rehabilitation medicine's department of occupational therapy until her retirement in July of 2024. It described her as 'a dedicated leader' who 'nurtured many students, preceptors and clinicians to flourish and grow. That her work continues to enrich the tapestry of occupational therapy in Alberta is her legacy.' Following an extensive search by dozens of emergency responders and search and rescue experts, Parks Canada said a search dog was able to pick up the scent of the second victim late Thursday evening, but it was too late in the day and the area was still too unstable to recover the body. 'We wanted to have a geotechnical engineer assess (the area) — we didn't want to expose people to that risk,' said Parks Canada visitor safety specialist, Lisa Paulson. 'It wasn't an easy retrieval.' Rescue crews returned at first light on Friday and with the help of the Lake Louise fire department, were able to remove the debris and recover the second victim's body. 1:46 Bow Glacier Falls rock slide witness calls scene 'pretty chaotic'
