Search underway for grizzly bear and cubs after scary school attack in Bella Coola

Canadian conservation officers are still searching for a mother grizzly bear and her two cubs after a violent attack on a group of elementary schoolchildren and teachers in rural British Columbia last week. Officials now tell media outlets the assault injured four people, including three children, and left the community reeling.

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service said in a statement that the school group had stopped for lunch along a trail near Bella Coola when the bear suddenly emerged from the forest and charged.

“Teachers successfully repelled the bear using pepper spray and a bear banger,” Inspector Kevin Van Damme said. The attack involved about 20 people on a short afternoon field trip, according to Nuxalk Nation Chief Samuel Schooner.

“This unprecedented grizzly bear attack occurred without provocation and has resulted in significant trauma to our community,” Schooner said. “We are incredibly proud of our teachers and students who responded heroically … The outcome could have been much worse.”

The Thursday afternoon attack triggered a massive emergency response across the Central Coast. Officials said 11 people were injured overall, with two in critical condition. A spokesperson with the Provincial Health Services Authority said paramedics reached the trail shortly after 1:45 p.m., treating four severely injured patients and stabilizing seven others at the scene.

Poor weather prevented helicopters from landing, forcing ambulances to drive patients more than five hours to Williams Lake, where they were then airlifted to hospitals in Vancouver. Four patients remained hospitalized, as of this reporting.

Witness accounts

Witnesses described a chaotic and terrifying scene as children ran back toward Acwsalcta School, which is operated by the Nuxalk Nation.

“They were crying, they were screaming, their hearts were racing,” Marcy, a relative of one of the victims, said.

She said three teachers suffered serious injuries while shielding the children, including one with a bite wound, another with a fractured skull, and a third described as “badly injured.”

Another parent, Veronica Schooner, told CBC that teachers fought the bear directly as it charged a group of fourth- and fifth graders. Her 10-year-old son was nearly within reach of the animal.

“He even felt its fur,” she said. She later posted photos of his torn shoes and described his injuries, asking for prayers for the other victims.

Family members said one teacher jumped in front of the bear to help the children escape.

“His dad said he jabbed its eyes with his fingers,” Marcy said.

The Nuxalk Nation closed the school on Friday and offered counseling to students and staff.

“It’s hard to know what to say during this very difficult time,” the school wrote in a statement.

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service, working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, has urged residents to avoid nearby forest and river areas while the search for the mother grizzly and her cubs continues. Conservation officers say the bears remain a public safety risk, and the investigation is ongoing.

The attack has shocked Bella Coola, a remote valley community about 620 miles north of Vancouver, and has drawn concern throughout British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest.

“We are thinking of all the patients, families, community members, first responders, healthcare workers, and others impacted by the tragic incident,” the Provincial Health Services Authority said. “We are wishing everyone peace, strength, and healing.”

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