A Canadian mother and her daughter have died following a suspected grizzly bear attack on a hiking trail near their home in Bella Coola, British Columbia. Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her 20-year-old daughter, Selah Reed, were reported missing Saturday after setting out on the Snooka West Trail.
Loved ones became concerned when Balcarras did not show up for a scheduled online meeting, her brother Matt Balcarras told The Vancouver Sun. Relatives requested a welfare check from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Sunday morning. Authorities located Balcarras' vehicle at the trailhead and recovered her body on Monday. Reed's body was found by search teams on Tuesday.
Evidence at the scene suggests a bear may have been involved, according to Jeff Tyre, an inspector with the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service. Conservation officers are actively working to locate and capture any bears believed to be responsible for the attack. Any captured bear will be assessed, and if found to be involved, will be euthanized in accordance with provincial guidelines for human-wildlife conflict response, officials stated.
Balcarras and Reed were described by Matt Balcarras as experienced individuals familiar with the region, adding to the shock of the incident. This tragic encounter occurred less than a year after a grizzly bear injured 11 people, including elementary school students, during a field trip near the same area.