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2mo ago

Banff Rockslide Survivor Credits Friend’s Warning for Saving His Life

Parks Canada concludes natural geological forces caused the unpredictable June 19 collapse; the trail remains shuttered; the survivor is hospitalized in Calgary; family members are en route to plan funerals.

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A rescue helicopter at the rock slide site near Bow Lake on Friday, June 20, 2025.
Hamza Benhilal, of Surrey, B.C., died in a rockfall on June 19 at Bow Glacier Falls. He was 33. Photo submitted.
Khaled Elgamal was still recovering in hospital in Calgary as of June 23, 2025, after suffering two broken bones in a rockslide incident in Banff National Park five days before. Photo submitted.

Overview

  • A rock slab broke loose at Bow Glacier Falls on June 19, killing 70-year-old Jutta Hinrichs and 33-year-old engineer Hamza Benhilal while injuring three other hikers.
  • Parks Canada and RCMP investigations found the slide was triggered by common mountain geological forces that could not have been anticipated or prevented.
  • Survivor Khaled Elgamal is recovering in a Calgary hospital from a fractured pelvis and shoulder after Benhilal’s warning gave him crucial seconds to escape.
  • Elgamal reports suffering flashbacks and nightmares and credits the swift aid of fellow hikers and medical staff for stabilizing him.
  • The nine-kilometre Bow Glacier Falls trail remains closed as Benhilal’s mother and one of his brothers arrive in Alberta to arrange his funeral.