Missing B.C. hiker found dead in Alberta national park

An overdue hiker from Golden, B.C. has been found dead in Waterton Lakes National Park after he did not show up at his intended destination in southern Alberta.

Parks Canada said that staff received a report on July 23 that 81-year-old Bob Toothill, who was travelling the Great Divide Trail between Waterton Lakes National Park and Coleman, Alta., was missing.

The Great Divide Trail is a rugged, 1,100-kilometer long-distance wilderness route that follows the Continental Divide between Alberta and B.C. and the route Toothill was trekking was about 145 kilometres long.

Search and rescue efforts began when Bob failed to arrive at his meet-up location in the Crowsnest Pass after hiking section A of the Great Divide Trail, Parks Canada said.

His last known location was Rowe Lakes Trail on Sunday, July 19.

Parks staff, along with Alberta RCMP, initiated a search and rescue operation with ground and air searches every day, which included K9 units, drone pilots, specialized helicopters and thermal imaging.

Over the course of the search, several items belonging to the hiker were recovered, helping search teams narrow their efforts to a specific area of Waterton Lakes National Park, Parks Canada said in an online post.

On July 30, searchers found Toothill dead within the national park. He slipped and fell while hiking in the Lineham Ridge area, according to an update posted by his daughter.

Parks Canada said his next of kin have been notified.

— With files from Karen Bartko, Global News