Over $20,000 raised for family of woman who died hiking Tent Ridge in Kananaskis

More than $20,000 has been raised through GoFundMe for the family of Mariel Cendana Surat, who died while attempting the Tent Ridge hiking route in Spray Valley Provincial Park and was reported missing on the evening of August 23, 2026. A hailstorm came through the area that day. Surat was found on the mountain the following day, deceased. It was the first death on Tent Ridge since 2016, and the fifth hiking-related death since June in Banff National Park and Kananaskis Country.

Surat's 22-year-old son, her only family member living in Canada, posted the GoFundMe with a goal of $24,000. He and Surat had been in Canada for more than a year. In his post, the son wrote: "It breaks my heart that we did not get to say goodbye to the most precious and wonderful woman in our life. She worked most of her life, trying to give her children a better life. She was our backbone. She died doing what she loved, by being in the mountains. She loved the mountains, and perhaps the mountains became her final home. Everything was so sudden, and there were no preparations."

The son's immediate goal is to bring Surat's body back to the Philippines for a proper burial with family. "Now all I could do is give her a proper burial with our family in the Philippines. I am knocking on everyone's door to help me bring my mom back home. No amount is too small, and every contribution means a lot for us. We are truly grateful for your kindness, generosity, prayers, and support."

Hundreds of donations have been made to the campaign. Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts, which operates facilities in the region, donated $2,500 to the effort. Police are not considering the death suspicious. The chief medical examiner's office is determining the official cause of death.

The incident reflects ongoing challenges in the mountain parks. An estimated five million visitors entered Alberta's mountain parks in 2025.