The B.C. conservation service is searching for any animals involved in the suspected grizzly attack that relatives say resulted in the deaths of a mother and daughter on the Central Coast of the province.
Family members reported the two women missing on Nov. 1, which led Bella Coola RCMP and rescue teams to launch an emergency search.
One set of remains was found near the Snooka West Trail in Bella Coola on Nov. 2, and a second body was discovered by RCMP and conservation officers on the afternoon of Nov. 3, British Columbia Conservation Officer Service Insp. Jeff Tyre said in a series of videos.
“Throughout the day, our priorities were to secure the area and protect officers and first responders as they search for the missing person, then respectfully recover the deceased so she can be brought home to her family,” Tyre said. “We extend our deepest condolences to both families. We remain committed to supporting them as our investigation continues.”
The service is urging the public to avoid the Snookot West Trail area “for their own safety” as well as to give officers the time and space needed to locate and capture any bears involved in the attack, he said. He noted that it remains unclear whether a single animal or multiple grizzlies were involved.
Any bears that are captured will undergo evaluation, and if found to be part of the attack, they will be euthanized in accordance with provincial human wildlife conflict response guidelines to protect public safety, he said.
The mother and daughter killed in the attacks have been identified by family members as 48-year-old Jenny Balcarras and 20-year-old Selah Reed. Family has said Balcarras’ body was found on Nov. 2 and her daughter’s remains were found the following day.
A GoFundMe page set up by relative Mary Melissa Smith says Balcarras leaves behind three young adult children—a son and two daughters—as well as a grandchild.
She said Balcarras had only recently moved to Bella Coola “to pursue a new career and begin a new chapter in her life.”
She described Reed as having “her whole life ahead of her.”
“She was only beginning her journey into adulthood, making this loss even more heartbreaking,” Smith said.
The weekend attacks come nearly a year after a bear attacked a group of school children last November.
A group of 20 Grade 4 and Grade 5 students and their teachers were walking on the Snootka trail during their lunch break when a grizzly attacked the group. Teachers fought off the bear using bear spray and bear bangers, but 11 people were injured. Three children and a teacher sustained major injuries and required hospitalization, with two in critical condition. Seven others received treatment for minor injuries.
The animal involved in the attack was never captured.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
