Ice rescues outside Banff draw calls for caution

A woman was taken to hospital after spending half an hour in the icy waters of Lake Minnewanka on Saturday, sparking warnings on ice safety from Banff and Parks Canada officials.

The woman, thought to be in her 20s, broke through the ice at the popular glacial lake just outside the Banff townsite, the town's fire department said.

“She was probably in the water for, they were estimating, 30 minutes, perhaps, either in the water or clinging to the broken ice,” said Banff Fire Department deputy chief Russ Geyer.

“A male that was with her tried to get close to her to rescue her himself and he ended up getting stranded on thin ice, so they both needed rescuing.”

The incident around 2:30 p.m. prompted a response by Parks Canada and fire crews.

The woman was taken to hospital with mild hypothermia, and the man was not injured. Geyer said it was “very fortunate” the outcome wasn't worse.

In a social media post Saturday, Parks Canada's mountain safety division said four people had fallen through the ice on Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park on Friday and Saturday, with the other three managing to get themselves out.

They urged skaters to take measures to mitigate risks when skating in the park.

“Ice skaters are reminded to check the lake ice thickness very carefully and understand that ice thickness may vary considerably over short distances,” Parks Canada wrote. “Having equipment available for self-rescue (personal flotation devices, rope, ice picks) can be very useful.”