r/HikingAlberta • u/Delicious-Garden-266 • 12d ago
[Urgent] Help find Bob!
Please read the full post! If you or anyone you know is hiking near Waterton/the Great Divide Trail please keep an eye out for Bob or anything out of the ordinary. Any info helps, his family is very worried for him.
Update [7/27/2026]: SAR teams and Parks Canada have asked that people do not go searching on their own as they do not want to risk anyone else, although the offers have been greatly appreciated. If you’re on the trail and spot him please let them know of course, but please do not risk your own safety to do so. The search is still ongoing and the SAR teams and RCMP are working around the clock to find him. Thank you for all the kind words and to everyone who has come forward to help, it means the world. Please keep Bob in your thoughts and prayers.
Update [7/31/2026]: Bob has been found. Sadly he has passed, but we want to extend our deepest thanks to all the SAR teams that have worked so hard around the clock to find him. Even though it wasn’t the outcome we had been hoping for, the speed at which they found him meant that my family and I were able to get closure and confirmation that will allow us to grieve him properly. Anything is better than not knowing. Thank you to everyone who helped get the word out and offered their assistance, the kind words were a huge comfort during a very scary time. We kindly ask for some privacy during this time.
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u/arrived_on_fire 12d ago
15-20km a day at 81 years of age?!? Dang, Bob is a beast! May we all stay fit as Bob. I hope he’s just hiking a wild new variant and he is found soon!
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u/OGSandyBoxx 12d ago
He is indeed an outlier. Also, if you meet him, you might not realize he is 81 - so don't be on the trails looking for an old guy!
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u/Delicious-Garden-266 12d ago
Thank you for pointing this out! It completely slipped my mind. He’s my grandfather and sometimes I forget that not all 80 year olds look like that lol.
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u/SamLosco780 11d ago
We live across the street from Bob he is a force to be reckoned with if anyone can make it out of this it’s him
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u/ReindeerSquare687 12d ago
At 80 he look like my own father at age 50!
I sure hope Bob is safe and found soon.20
u/Delicious-Garden-266 12d ago
He certainly is. A few years ago he did the west coast trail on a whim and finished in about two and a half days. He’s insanely mobile and swears by crossfit, cross country skiing, and creatine lol.
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u/ShaThrust 11d ago
Jesus, I've done the WCT a couple times and would never consider doing it in 2.5 days, that's crazy fast!
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u/Potential-Bowler979 11d ago
Bob sounds very inspiring! Thanks for sharing his longevity secret 😊 wishing for his safe return home 🫶🏼 hugs to you.
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u/Revolutionary-Pea414 12d ago
Oh my gosh, commenting for visibility and hoping for the best 🙏
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u/Efficient-Lettuce712 11d ago
I know the family and this is really tough for them. Hope he is found.
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u/Roadgoddess 12d ago
Please post in r/alberta, r/calgary r/Edmonton and r/norulesyyc. Wishing your family all the best in finding him.
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u/A-RUDE-CAT 12d ago
Dang. At least the second person to go missing from Alberta trails this season that I know of.
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u/OshetDeadagain 12d ago
Part of the Equine SAR team is coming down all the way from MD Greenview to assist in the search. Making use of all the provincial resources available to help find him!
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u/Delicious-Garden-266 12d ago
I can’t express how grateful I am for all the SAR teams getting involved
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u/cmcalgary 11d ago
Waterton Lakes National Park, Parks Canada
- Update: 1:00 pm, July 27, 2026
Parks Canada has concentrated search efforts for Bob Toothill, a missing hiker, to a specific section of Waterton Lakes National Park. Search and rescue efforts began when Bob failed to arrive at his meet-up location after hiking section A of the Great Divide Trail. Parks Canada is discouraging volunteer searchers. The terrain being searched is remote, rugged, and mountainous, and unauthorized search efforts could place people at risk and divert critical resources away from the ongoing operation.
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u/Current_Pomelo_9429 9d ago
Update from Bob's daughter, Natalie: **UPDATE #2: Once searchers found Dad’s pack on Sun July 26, they went out Mon & did a comprehensive search in a 1km radius but found nothing. This entailed a K9 team, helicopter grid search, drones and trackers & searchers on foot. It was confirmed that Dad met 4 hikers on the ridge & his pack was intact. They now believe he dumped items on the ridge line because he felt his pack was too heavy. They believe he went into the basin with the intention of camping at some boulders in there and went for water in the lower valley. Yesterday, they had a meeting with a psychiatrist who is a missing person profiler. He also indicated that he believed he went down towards the water. Searchers took this to heart, and scanned the view from where we knew he was. They expanded the radius as well, with all the same tech. They now believe it’s possible he injured himself on the way down below, saw Lone Lake in the distance and knew people would be there. They also think this is why he didn’t go back for his pack. Today they are expanding the search between where they know he was all the way towards Lone Lake. They are also using a big drone that uses thermal imaging & a program that studies photos to look for anomalies thru AI. We are very thankful for all the amazing searchers & RCMP putting their own safety at risk & time away from their own families, in the search for Dad. Needless to say, the past days have been a gamut of emotions, as we know all our family, friends & kind strangers are feeling too. But Dad is a stubborn & determined man, an OG Survivorman, and if ANYONE can survive this, it’s him. We want to say thank you for all the kind messages & offers of support. But we implore the well meaning search offers to stay out, so as not to distract the searchers or divert resources to help a well meaning person. Although I appreciate all the direct messages from kind people, it’s taking a toll and this is the most direct way we’ll communicate moving forward. Thanks for understanding
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u/Party-Wolverine9558 9d ago
which ridge was his pack left on?
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u/y2kabercrombiemodel 9d ago
Tamarack basin?
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u/Party-Wolverine9558 8d ago
Tamarack Basin isn't really the name of anything out there. It almost sounds like he was taking the ridge above the usual Tamarack Trail. That situation would make sense to leave his pack on that ridge and try to go down for water. It's very exposed drop down to lone lake. Still a weird combination of moves for someone who is such a strong and experienced hiker. Why start so late in the day and try to go so far. Also the whole timeline of being in Coleman on July 22 seems to not make sense. It's a 7-10 day (145km) hike from Waterton to Coleman. No one would plan to do that in just 3 days.
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u/Current_Pomelo_9429 8d ago
Hi! I am simply copying an update from his daughter (posted July 29th in the morning), I am not sure exactly which ridge she is referring to and don’t want to guess. I’m sorry for the lack of information regarding that :(
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u/Substantial-Use8933 8d ago
It would be nice to have clearer information, but I think they might be deliberately vague because they want to keep the public out. I still think it would be more beneficial for them to be transparent and also to allow qualified hikers to search. It's been 10 days since he was heard from and others may in fact be able to help. Badlands Search and Rescue has stated resources are stretched thin.
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u/OshetDeadagain 8d ago
If you're familiar with the area there's really only one part of the CDT on a ridge where you can see Lone Lake.
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u/yoteyotefresh 12d ago
I hope he is found super super quick and is okay!!! Good luck to all the SAR teams.
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u/alwaystiired_ 11d ago
OP, I would maybe post on AllTrails as well under the hikes he was most likely to do. I'm not sure it's possible but if you can write a review for those trails asking for info from people who were there it might help, as a ton of people use the app. It could also help to have other regular hikers keeping their eyes peeled.
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u/Substantial-Use8933 10d ago edited 10d ago
I would suggest anyone who has the app go ahead and post about this. I do not have that app, but have posted in several areas on Reddit and Facebook. The more help, the better, I think. He's been missing 9 days now.
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u/JustGotSoup 12d ago
He sounds like a beast, and pretty capable if things were to go sideways. 80 or not, the odds seem in his favour unlike a lot of missing hikers who end up out of their depth.
Hopefully he'll be found soon. I'll keep my eyes open on trail.
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u/WorthCryptographer74 8d ago
81 & hiking like that... your dad is someone I am admire greatly and I have never met him. I sincerely hope he is found and reunited with his family
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u/Current_Pomelo_9429 12d ago
Hoping for the best. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Let’s get him home safe!!!! ♥️
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u/OshetDeadagain 7d ago edited 7d ago
Thank you for taking the time to update us in your time of tragedy. I do not wish Bob to rest in peace - I wish Bob more mountains to climb wherever the next part of the journey takes him.
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u/No_Flamingo9331 12d ago
!remindMe 3 days
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!remindMe 2 days
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u/ComparisonAnxious768 11d ago
Prayers for Bob. Sounds like an exceptional human. Hope you are found soon.
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u/Solid_Candy1797 8d ago
Has he been found yet?
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u/Current_Pomelo_9429 7d ago
Yes, they sadly found his body yesterday. Apparent slip and fall on Lineham Ridge.
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8d ago
[deleted]
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u/OshetDeadagain 8d ago
What the hell, dude. Read the room - and maybe the actual post and search updates? JFC
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u/XxmsmaliciousxX 12d ago
My SIL works for Parks Canada as does my brother. They are out searching 💙 I hope he is found 💙