As conservation officers work to capture a grizzly bear that attacked a group of elementary school students and teachers in a remote B.C. community this week, locals have been urged to stay indoors.
Three children and an adult were hospitalized following the unprovoked attack, which unfolded on a trail near Highway 20 in Bella Coola early Thursday afternoon.
Officials said the bear emerged from a forested area while the group—on a field trip from the independent Acwsalcta School, run by the Nuxalk Nation—was stopped for lunch in the 4 Mile area.
Two of the victims were critically injured and two were seriously hurt. Paramedics tended to another seven people at the scene.
Speaking to reporters Friday, Insp. Kevin Van Damme of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said in his 34 years on the job, he’s never heard of a grizzly confronting such a large group of people.
“I really need to stress how dangerous the situation is with this bear at large,” Van Damme said. “We need to keep people away from the 4 Mile area.”
Officers have set traps for the bear and collected forensic evidence from the attack site that could help confirm which animal was involved, Van Damme added.
Meanwhile, officials have praised the teachers on the field trip for placing themselves in harm’s way to protect their students.
The adults used bear spray and a bear banger to repel the animal, and were “true heroes,” said Environment Minister Tamara Davidson on Friday.
“Their actions deserve our deepest respect and gratitude,” Davidson said.
She also praised the Nuxalk Nation for the care provided to the community in the aftermath, while urging locals to remain alert until the bear is located.
“We understand that this is a very distressing time,” Davidson said. “To ensure the safety of community members, we’re asking that everyone please stay indoors.”
The four victims who were seriously injured were driven to Williams Lake Airport in an ambulance then airlifted to hospital, according to B.C. Emergency Health Services.
The patients’ families have asked for privacy regarding the details of their condition.
In a statement, Nuxalk Nation Chief Samuel Schooner said the incident has caused “significant trauma” to the community.
“We are incredibly proud of our teachers and students who responded heroically in the moment to protect one another,” he added. “The outcome could have been much worse.”
B.C. Premier David Eby also offered his condolences and sympathy at an unrelated news conference Friday morning.
“I want to send my heart out to the parents and the kids and loved ones of everyone who’s been injured, who’s in hospital right now, and I hope for their quick recovery,” he said.
Veronica Schooner said her 10-year-old son Alvarez was among the Grade 4-5 class that was attacked, and was so close to the bear he felt the animal’s fur.
“He was running for his life,” she told The Canadian Press. “He said that bear ran so close to him, but it was going after somebody else.”
Multiple people tried to halt the attack, Schooner said, but one teacher “got the whole brunt of it.” He was the adult airlifted to hospital with the children.
She added her son was “in shock” when she picked him up after the attack, his shoes muddy from the ordeal.
“Everybody was in shock at the school,” Schooner said. “A lot of people were crying, and I don’t know, I just wanted my son, and I grabbed him, and then I took him home.”
Eight conservation officers, including some from outside the community, have been trying to track the bear down since.
Van Damme said they are still speaking with witnesses and confirming details about the bear, including whether it might have been a sow with cubs.
For now, the animal’s behaviour remains a mystery.
“This is extremely rare,” Van Damme added. “The public needs to understand that.”
In a letter Friday, the Nuxalk Acwsalcmalslayc Academy of Learning Board of Directors, which oversees the Acwsalcta School, thanked students, staff, emergency responders and the community for their “strength and compassion” during the incident.
“To our students: we are so proud of the way you supported one another, listened to instructions, and were together as a community. Today was frightening, and your resilience is truly admirable,” the board wrote.
With files from The Canadian Press
