Body of 25-year-old woman recovered from Bow River after solo kayak trip
CBC News | Posted: May 23, 2017 8:14 PM | Last Updated: May 23, 2017
Woman reported overdue hours after abandoned kayak sighted near Taylor Lake area
A kayaker who was on a solo trip on the Bow River in Alberta has been found dead.
The 25-year-old woman was reported overdue to Lake Louise RCMP and Parks Canada about 9 p.m. Monday by staff at Baker Creek Chalets, where the woman had obtained her kayaking equipment.
RCMP say that report matched earlier reports of an abandoned kayak observed on the Bow River, near the Taylor Lake area.
Parks Canada Visitor Safety Specialists completed a helicopter search of the river and found what they believed to be a submerged person upstream.
After a ground search, Parks Canada staff recovered the body of the woman around midnight.
'Very little' experience, says Parks Canada
Aaron Beardmore, a visitor safety specialist for Parks Canada, said the Bow River near Lake Louise is at a high water level right now.
Beardmore said the woman's paddling experience is not known, but all indications have led Parks Canada to believe she had "very little" experience.
Visitors need to make informed decisions before heading out.
"So that means doing as much research ahead of the trip as possible so that they can expect the risks and hazards involved in the trip and to be aware of those. And we also recommend at minimum that people travel with one other person. Often on rivers it's good to go with groups," he said.
The woman was from Clarington, Ont. Her family has been notified but her identity will not be released, RCMP say.
"The thoughts of everyone at Parks Canada and the RCMP are with the family, friends and colleagues of the young woman," RCMP said in a news release Tuesday.