11 injured, 2 critical after teachers fight off grizzly bear in B.C.

A grizzly bear attacked a group of elementary schoolchildren and their teachers on a walking trail Thursday in British Columbia, injuring 11 people, including two critically, officials said.

The attack happened early Thursday afternoon near the town of Bella Coola along British Columbia’s Central Coast. The Nuxalk Nation said the “aggressive bear” remained at large Thursday evening and urged residents to stay indoors while police and conservation officers searched the area.

A family member of one of the victims was working at a gift shop across the street from the Acwsalcta School, an independent school run by the Nuxalk Nation, where the children left for their walk. She tells KIRO Newsradio she watched many of the children walking back to the school right after the attack.

“They were crying, they were screaming, their hearts were racing, obviously,” Marcy, who did not want to share her last name to protect the victims’ identities, said.

Marcy also described the injuries the three adults who saved the children suffered.

“One got a bite mark on her leg. The other one got a fractured skull, and another is just badly injured — the one that saved them,” she said.

A spokesperson from the Provincial Health Services Authority told KIRO Newsradio B.C. Emergency Health Services received a call at 1:46 p.m. on Thursday about an animal attack on a trail near Highway 20 in Bella Coola. Two ambulances and a community paramedic responded to the scene.

Poor weather conditions prevented any rescue aircraft from landing in the immediate area, and several patients were transported by ambulance to an airport five-and-a-half hours away in Williams Lake, B.C. Those patients were then airlifted to hospitals, including the Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. A total of four patients remain hospitalized at the time of publishing.

“Paramedics provided emergency medical treatment to four patients and transported them to the hospital. Two patients were in critical condition, and two were in serious condition. A further seven people were cared for at the scene but did not require hospital transport,” explained the spokesperson.

Teachers fight off grizzly bear as it charged fourth and fifth-graders

Another family member and mother of the 10-year-old victim, Veronica Schooner, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) teachers fought off the bear as it charged the group of fourth and fifth-graders. She said her young son was so close to the bear that “he even felt its fur” as he ran to safety.

Schooner posted several photos of the aftermath on social media, including a photo of her son’s gray-colored Vans tennis shoes that appeared to be stained with mud and ripped on the side.

She wrote in the caption, “These are his shoes, and he injured his ankle and had bear spray on his face. Please pray for those who were injured by the grizzly. So traumatic for everyone and so grateful for those brave men that save the kids. Prayers for strength for the girl and whoever else got hurt. Always pray for your children…”

Others told the media that one teacher jumped in front of the bear to allow the children to get away.

“His Dad said that he jabbed his eyes with his fingers and that’s how he was able to… how the bear was able to… just left him,” Marcy said.

That teacher was later airlifted from the scene.

So far, there’s no comment from the Nuxalk Nation. On social media, the Acwsalcta School said the school closed Friday and was offering counseling to students and staff.

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

Officials with the Nuxalk Nation haven’t returned our calls, so far.

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service said it is working with Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and has ordered residents to avoid nearby forest and river areas while officers search for the bear. The investigation is ongoing.

News of the attack has shocked the normally sleepy town of Bella Coola and throughout B.C. 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 in Bella Coola yesterday, ” added the Provincial Health Services Authority spokesperson to their statement. “We are wishing everyone involved peace, strength, and healing.”

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