2nd hiker in a week dies after falling from Banff National Park mountain

2nd hiker in a week dies after falling from Banff National Park mountain

Woman dead after falling near Marvel Peak on Tuesday

A woman in her twenties is dead after falling from a mountain near Marvel Peak in Banff National Park, according to police.

RCMP responded Tuesday afternoon after Parks Canada received communication from a group of four hikers who were coming from the British Columbia side of the border on a multi-day hike.

“The female lost her footing and fell,” Canmore RCMP detachment commander Staff Sgt. Greg Tulloch said. “She went down in a manner that was unsurvivable.”

Parks Canada’s Banff field unit hadn't responded to requests from CBC News as of publication time.

Tulloch said members of the group were able to reach the woman who fell, attempt first aid and contact emergency services.

He said Parks Canada rescue specialists tried to get to the area via helicopter Tuesday, but bad weather left them unable to get to the scene until Wednesday morning.

“The hiker was recovered early this morning, and we’re working to make contact with the family,” Tulloch said.

Stuart Brideaux, a public education officer with Alberta’s Emergency Health Services, said Parks Canada called them for help Tuesday afternoon. He said they staged in the area of Mount Shark in Spray Valley Provincial Park, but were stood down.

Second hiker death in under a week

Marvel Peak is in the southern part of Banff National Park, near the border of British Columbia's Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park and Kananaskis Country in Alberta.

It’s a roughly 2,650-metre summit and about three kilometres from the Continental Divide.

This hiker's death follows another over the weekend. A 65-year-old Calgary man died after falling from Mount Temple in Banff National Park on Saturday.

On June 6, a 47-year-old Airdrie woman died hiking Mount Bryant in Kananaskis Country.

Greg Colgan is a journalist for CBC in the Bow Valley. He was previously the editor of the Rocky Mountain Outlook in Banff and Canmore. He has also worked for media outlets in Ontario and has experience covering topics such as sports, politics, housing and development, courts and arts and entertainment. He joined CBC in 2025. He can be reached at greg.colgan@cbc.ca.