A grizzly bear attack involving students in Bella Coola on British Columbia’s Central Coast has left two people critically injured and two others seriously hurt, according to emergency officials.
B.C. Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) says seven additional people were treated at the scene but did not require transport to hospital.
BCEHS said it received a call at 1:46 p.m. PT Thursday about an “animal attack” on a trail called “Old Trail,” near Highway 20. Two ambulances and a community paramedic responded.
The mother of a child in the elementary class told The Canadian Press that teachers fought off the attacking animal.
Veronica Schooner says a lot of people tried to halt the attack but one male teacher “got the whole brunt of it” and was among the people taken by helicopter from the scene.
She says her son was “traumatized” by the attack on his friends and three children were among those with major injuries.
BCEHS spokesperson Brian Twaites says the weather conditions in the area were poor so they called for help with air transportation from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) said conservation officers are on scene with RCMP and have ordered residents to stay out of the forested and river area near the 4 Mile area until further notice.
A Facebook post from Acwsalcta School — an independent school run by the Nuxalk Nation in Bella Coola, which is about 420 kilometres northwest of Vancouver as the crow flies — says the incident involved members of its school community.
The school announced it will be closed Friday due to “the bear incident.”
“It’s hard to know what to say during this very difficult time. We are so grateful for our team and our students,” the post said.
It’s unclear whether both students and staff were involved. CBC News has reached out to the school.
“We are devastated for the individuals and families impacted by the bear incident,” Nuxalk Nation Chief Samuel Schooner said in a statement.
“All individuals involved are receiving medical support and our priority is to ensure that they are safe.”
In a social media post, the Nuxalk Nation said the animal remained on the loose after the attack and warned community members not to “go looking for it.”
“It is understandable if you are feeling stressed and scared,” it said, adding that several transportation options are being offered so locals can avoid walking in the area.
Jayme Kennedy, the chair of the Central Coast Regional District, which includes the community of Bella Coola, said in a statement that she was sending “heartfelt support to the Nuxalk Nation” and all who have been affected by the bear attack.
“We are all feeling devastation as we try to understand the magnitude of the attack and navigate what has happened.”
She said the regional district would be available to help in any way it could.
In an interview with CBC News on Wednesday, Kennedy said people who live in and around Bella Coola are bear aware and know how to stay safe outside.
She said she’s never heard of an attack of this nature.
“It’s just like a very unusual broad daylight occurrence, something that is unimaginable really.”
Kennedy said bears in and around the community are a contentious issue due to nuisance behaviour — like getting into garbage or onto properties.
“It was a really hard year that way and we’ve had a lot of bear incidents leading up to this tragedy,” she said.
