B.C. hiker, 81, travelling on Great Divide Trail found dead in mountains in Alberta

PINCHER CREEK — A British Columbia man who set out to hike the Great Divide Trail has been found dead in mountainous terrain in southern Alberta.

The body of the 81-year-old from Golden, B.C., was located Thursday after a week of searching in Waterton Lakes National Park, RCMP in Alberta said Friday.

“Alberta RCMP sends their condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,” a release said.

Police did not release his name or say how he died, but during the search, Parks Canada officials identified him as Bob Toothill.

They said he was hiking the Great Divide Trail, a long-distance wilderness route that follows the Continental Divide.

The man set out on July 16 and was expected to arrive in Coleman, Alta., a week ago.

When he did not show up, Mounties and Parks Canada officials searched on the ground and in the air with the help of dogs and drones.

Parks Canada discouraged volunteers from helping with the search, citing the remote, rugged and mountainous terrain as a hazard for people not familiar with the area.

Throughout the search, several items belonging to Toothill were found, helping canvassers narrow their search efforts, Waterton Lakes National Park said in a Facebook post on Friday.

“Parks Canada extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends and others who have been impacted by this tragic incident.”

Natalie Neustaedter, Toothill’s daughter, wrote in a Facebook post that the avid outdoorsman died after a “sudden slip and fall” while hiking in the Lineham Ridge area of the Great Divide Trail.

“Although we are devastated by this news, we are grateful that he was found and can now be brought home,” the post said.

“Bob loved the outdoors — in many ways, he lived for it. It is a heartbreaking irony that the place he loved most is where he spent his final moments.”

The windswept ridge is described as a difficult, 20-kilometre trail that offers views of the Rowe Valley, Upper Rowe Lakes and numerous Lineham Lakes. It reaches elevations of 945 metres.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2026.

The Canadian Press