Latest news with #JuttaHinrichs
The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Retired professor revealed as first victim of horror rock slide in Canada which killed another and injured 3 more
A RETIRED professor has been named as the first victim of the deadly rock slide in Canada which killed one other. Jutta Hinrichs, 70, a former lecturer at the University of Alberta, was found dead on Thursday after 5 Jutta Hinrichs, 70, was killed by the natural disaster Credit: Facebook 5 A rock slide, centre, is seen near Bow Glacier Falls Credit: AP 5 The rock slide happened on a cliff face overlooking Bow Lake in Banff National Park Credit: AP A second body was recovered on Friday, and officials have called off the rescue after believing everyone is accounted for. The fatal land slide happened on Thursday afternoon north of Lake Louie - a tourist town 124 miles northwest of Calgary, Alberta. A huge rock shelf gave way and cascaded down the mountain along the Bow Glacier Falls hiking trail, taking walkers with it. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Parks Canada later confirmed that two hikers tragically lost their lives - one of whom was Jutta Hinrichs. read more in world news In a tribute, the University of Alberta said Jutta was a "dedicated leader and educator" who worked in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine 's Department of Occupational Therapy. It continued: "As an educator, Jutta 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." Corporal Gina Slaney with RCMP said that information about the second victim will be released after the family has been notified. Most read in The US Sun Local resident Niclas Brundell was hiking on the trail at the time. He and his wife were among a group standing to the right of the falls when they noticed small rocks start tumbling down the mountain. Incredible never-before-filmed moment Earth's crust RUPTURES during deadly 7.7-mag quake leaving scientists 'gobsmacked' Alarmed, the two of them fled the area. Nicals told CBC news: "I turned round and saw basically a whole shelf of a mountain come loose. "We just kept sprinting and I couldn't see the people behind us anymore because they were all in that cloud of rock. "I saw rocks coming tumbling out of that. So it was big. It was, like, the full mountainside." 5 The route around Bow Lake is closed following the rock slide Credit: AP 5 The quantity of loose rock was described as "exceptional" Credit: AP The Bow Glacier Falls hiking trail is a six-mile route running along the edges of Bow Lake. It's considered a moderate challenge for hikers, and day-trippers include families. Francois Masse, the Parks Canada Superintendent of the Lake Louise, Yoho, and Kootenay Field Unit, said the rockfall was an "extremely rare event" that was "neither predictable nor preventable". While rockfalls are fairly common in the Rockies, he said "the size of the slab that detached" was "exceptional". The trail to Bow Glacier Falls has been closed for the foreseeable future , he said. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she was deeply saddened by the tragic accident. "We are thinking of all those involved and wishing for their safety as we await further details," she said in a post on social media. Ron Hallman, president and CEO of Parks Canada, said: "My thoughts are with the families and friends of those who are affected." Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also offered his condolences. He said: "I want to address the tragedy at Bow Glacier Falls, and offer my condolences to the loved ones of those who have lost their lives in this tragic accident. And wish a full recovery to all those injured."
The Sun
8 hours ago
- General
- The Sun
Retired professor revealed as first victim of horror rock slide in Canada which killed another and injured 3 more
A RETIRED professor has been named as the first victim of the deadly rock slide in Canada which killed one other. Jutta Hinrichs, 70, a former lecturer at the University of Alberta, was found dead on Thursday after the disaster in Banff National Park when three people were injured as well. 5 5 A second body was recovered on Friday, and officials have called off the rescue after believing everyone is accounted for. The fatal land slide happened on Thursday afternoon north of Lake Louie - a tourist town 124 miles northwest of Calgary, Alberta. A huge rock shelf gave way and cascaded down the mountain along the Bow Glacier Falls hiking trail, taking walkers with it. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Parks Canada later confirmed that two hikers tragically lost their lives - one of whom was Jutta Hinrichs. In a tribute, the University of Alberta said Jutta was a "dedicated leader and educator" who worked in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine's Department of Occupational Therapy. It continued: "As an educator, Jutta 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." Corporal Gina Slaney with RCMP said that information about the second victim will be released after the family has been notified. Local resident Niclas Brundell was hiking on the trail at the time. He and his wife were among a group standing to the right of the falls when they noticed small rocks start tumbling down the mountain. Incredible never-before-filmed moment Earth's crust RUPTURES during deadly 7.7-mag quake leaving scientists 'gobsmacked' Alarmed, the two of them fled the area. Nicals told CBC news: "I turned round and saw basically a whole shelf of a mountain come loose. "We just kept sprinting and I couldn't see the people behind us anymore because they were all in that cloud of rock. "I saw rocks coming tumbling out of that. So it was big. It was, like, the full mountainside." 5 5 The Bow Glacier Falls hiking trail is a six-mile route running along the edges of Bow Lake. It's considered a moderate challenge for hikers, and day-trippers include families. Francois Masse, the Parks Canada Superintendent of the Lake Louise, Yoho, and Kootenay Field Unit, said the rockfall was an "extremely rare event" that was "neither predictable nor preventable". While rockfalls are fairly common in the Rockies, he said "the size of the slab that detached" was "exceptional". The trail to Bow Glacier Falls has been closed for the foreseeable future, he said. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she was deeply saddened by the tragic accident. "We are thinking of all those involved and wishing for their safety as we await further details," she said in a post on social media. Ron Hallman, president and CEO of Parks Canada, said: "My thoughts are with the families and friends of those who are affected." Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also offered his condolences. He said: "I want to address the tragedy at Bow Glacier Falls, and offer my condolences to the loved ones of those who have lost their lives in this tragic accident. And wish a full recovery to all those injured."
NBC News
9 hours ago
- NBC News
Searchers recover 2nd body after rockfall near Canada's Banff National Park hiking trail
CALGARY, Alberta — Search teams located a second body Friday following a massive rockfall off a hiking trail in Canada's Banff National Park. The University of Alberta confirmed one of the two people killed in the rockfall in Banff National Park was retired educator Jutta Hinrichs, who was a leader in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. Parks Canada officials say she was 70 and lived in Calgary. The slide happened Thursday afternoon north of Lake Louise on the Icefields Parkway, about 124 miles northwest of Calgary. It is also about 85 miles from the site of the Group of Seven summit held in Kananaskis, Alberta, this week. Three others were taken to the hospital and were reported in stable condition. Officials said no one else has been reported missing and there are no unidentified vehicles at the trailhead. The route rus along the edges of Bow Lake and is considered a moderate challenge for hikers and is used by tourists and day-trippers, including families. It's a region with limited cellular service. Niclas Brundell, a trail guide who lives in nearby Canmore, said he was hiking in the area with his wife Thursday when they both started seeing concerning signs of rocks tumbling and boulders the size of tires starting to fall. 'This was unimaginable to me, that such a big piece of mountain would fall off,' he said. As rocks started rolling at the top of the waterfall, he said, they didn't hit anyone, but he and his wife wondered why nobody seemed to be reacting. 'Then all of a sudden, I hear the start of another rockfall, and I turn around, and the whole mountainside is coming off.' He said the slab seemed about 50 meters (164 feet) wide and 20 meters (60 feet) deep, and he and his wife started sprinting. When he turned around, he could see a group of between 15 and 30 people at the waterfall disappear under a cloud of dust. 'The only place I've ever seen something similar is like watching videos from 9-11, when you see New York being cast over,' he said. He said there was a roar, 'and I just didn't see them anymore.' Brundell said when they got far enough to feel safe, he sent a satellite message to Parks Canada, while his wife ran to a nearby lodge to call for help. He said it's a popular trail because it's considered relatively easy, and on any given summer day there are 15 people or more hiking the trail.
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Retired educator, 70, among two killed as 'multiple hikers' caught up in deadly landslide in Canadian national park
Two people have died after 'multiple hikers' were swept away by a deadly landslide in Canada 's Banff National Park on Thursday. A 70-year-old woman was the first victim recovered after the rockslide, which took place at around 1.30pm, the Lake Louise Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said. A second victim was discovered by searchers on Friday afternoon, and three other hikers are in stable condition as the search continues for survivors at the site near Bow Glacier Falls, north of Lake Louise. 'We feel that everyone has been identified and accounted for,' RCMP Cpl Gina Slaney told allaying previous fears the death toll was set to rise. Jutta Hinrichs, 70, a retired clinical educator in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Alberta, was the first victim recovered on Thursday. Hinrichs' friends told Global News that she had just returned to Canada from Peru last Friday, describing her as 'a beautiful, caring soul with a huge smile and love of people and nature.' Video posted online of the incident showed a large shelf of stone rocketing down a mountainside, which then caused a huge cloud of gray dust to rise into the air. One photo taken by a hiker nearby showed the debris cloud billowing up. At least one person could be seen frighteningly close to the devastating scene. The Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS) dispatched two helicopters for the three injured hikers and transported each patient one by one to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary Thursday. Niclas Brundell told CBC News he was hiking in the area with his wife when the rockfall happened. He estimated that the rockfall was 160ft wide and 30ft deep. 'We heard this like "chunk" noise and the whole roof of the wall came loose,' he said. 'And we just started sprinting down. I was yelling at my wife, "Go, go, go! We need to run as fast as we can," ' Brundell recalled. 'We just kept sprinting and I couldn't see the people behind us anymore because they were all in that cloud of rock. 'And I saw rocks coming tumbling out of that. So it was, it was big. It was, like, the full mountainside,' he said. He said there may have been about 15 to 20 people around at the time. Another hiker in the area, Kamala Dixon, captured dramatic footage of the rockslide happening in real time and later posted it to social media. 'The Falls were waaay [sic] bigger than normal and flowing very fast,' she wrote on Facebook. 'I felt something wasn't right and when I heard the crack I turned around expecting to see a few rocks, instead total devastation.' Frightening: Hikers who were in the area at the time said they began running as soon as they heard a loud cracking sound Bow Lake, about 22 miles away from Lake Louise on the Icefields Parkway, has been closed by authorities. A no-fly zone has also been established in the area. Bow Glacier Falls, near where the rockslide occurred, is less than two miles southwest of Bow Lake and is accessible via a hiking trail. Banff National Park and the Icefields Parkway remain open to the public, but drivers have been told to expect intermittent traffic near Bow Lake where rescue efforts are still being mounted. 'Parks Canada and RCMP are deeply saddened by this tragic incident. Our hearts go out to the friends and families of all involved. Updates will be provided as more information comes available,' the two agencies said in their joint statement. Alberta's premier, Danielle Smith, shared a statement as well, offering her condolences to the families affected by this tragic natural disaster. 'I am deeply saddened to learn of the tragic event at Bow Glacier Falls, north of Banff, today,' she posted on X. 'We are thinking of all those involved and wishing for their safety as we await further details.' 'On behalf of Alberta's government, I also want to offer my most sincere gratitude to the emergency crews including search and rescue teams, and @STARSambulance for responding quickly,' she added. One of Hinrichs' colleagues, Masako Miyazaki, posted on Facebook announcing her passing and said: 'Her loss is a profound one for our community.' Miyazaki, another occupational therapy professor at the University of Alberta, described Hinrichs as 'kind, compassionate, and deeply nurturing.' Hinrichs had been an occupational therapist for over 36 years and had 25 years of experience teaching and being a university administrator, according to her LinkedIn profile. The University of Alberta released a statement on Hinrichs' death on Friday afternoon offering 'its heartfelt sympathy to Jutta's family, friends, former students and colleagues as they navigate the profound loss of their loved one.' 'Jutta was a dedicated leader and educator in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine's Department of Occupational Therapy from September 2012 until her retirement last July,' the statement said. 'She was integral to developing a southern Alberta satellite for the department, growing it from the seeds of her deep clinical and leadership experience in the Calgary area. 'As an educator, Jutta 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,' the statement concluded.
National Post
20 hours ago
- Climate
- National Post
Second death confirmed in Banff rockslide: 'Neither preventable nor predictable'
A rock slide in Banff National Park claimed two lives on Thursday, including a senior woman from Calgary. Article content RCMP and Parks Canada officials said Friday afternoon that their search for victims went on through the night and into the morning at Bow Glacier Falls. Article content Article content The first death was confirmed to be a 70-year-old woman from Calgary, Jutta Hinrichs, while the second hiker's body was recovered early Friday morning. That person had not been identified by Friday afternoon. Article content 'RCMP are notifying their next of kin and no further information is available at this time,' the agencies said in a joint statement. Article content Article content 'At this time, there are no additional persons reported missing and no additional unidentified vehicles at the trailhead located at Bow Lake.' Article content Officials added that three injured hikers taken to hospital by STARS air ambulance and ground ambulance Thursday were all in stable condition. In total, 13 visibly injured visitors or non-injured bystanders were evacuated from the scene. Article content There were ultimately 100 personnel involved in the response effort, including crews from several first response agencies. Article content As part of search efforts, Canada Task Force 2 — a natural disaster response team — conducted infrared flights, through their partners in the Calgary Police Service, to complete a thorough assessment of the area. Article content Meanwhile, a geotechnical engineer from Canada Task Force 2 conducted a slope stability assessment. Article content Article content Francois Masse, Parks Canada superintendent for the Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay field unit, said that assessment revealed the rockfall was caused by natural processes in mountain areas. Article content 'Sadly, this extremely rare event appears to have been neither preventable nor predictable,' he told reporters. Article content 'Parks Canada and the RCMP extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the two individuals who lost their lives. Our thoughts also remain with those in hospital and we hope for their full recovery.' Article content Article content The first victim was confirmed as Jutta Hinrichs, a retired occupational therapist from Calgary and a clinical education co-ordinator for the University of Alberta. She was a member of a local hikers group called Slow and Steady Hikers, some of whose members were caught in the rock slide.
