CALGARY (CBC) - A southern Alberta man collecting firewood on a camping trip slipped into a fast-flowing creek and drowned north of Crowsnest Pass on Monday night.

Larry Ross Walters, 62, from Lethbridge, and his wife were both collecting firewood along Racehorse Creek when he fell into the swollen waters and was swept downstream about 150 metres, RCMP said Tuesday.

Walters' wife could not get into the water to help him and called for assistance from a nearby ranger station, police said.

Police and rescue crews from Crowsnest Pass later recovered Walters' body, which had come to a rest against some rocks in the creek bed.

The RCMP continued to warn people using the backcountry to be extremely careful around fast-flowing water, especially in light of recent rainfall and the thaw of late-winter snow, which has made rivers and creeks run faster and deeper than usual.

Calgary, about 220 kilometres north of Crowsnest Pass, has advised residents to avoid using the Elbow and Bow rivers for recreation until further notice due to increased and potentially dangerous water flows.

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