A grizzly bear attacked a group of primary school children and teachers, injuring 11. The bear remains on the loose following the attack on Nov. 20. Kids ran for their lives in Bella Coola, British Columbia, Canada, when the large bear suddenly appeared. It left four people in a serious condition in hospital - two of those are now fighting for their lives. Emergency services said seven more people were treated at the scene of the attack in the community about 700km northwest of Vancouver, which was reported just before 2pm on Thursday, Nov. 20. Veronica Schooner said her 10-year-old son Alvarez was in the Year 4-5 class that was attacked while on a walk and was so close to the animal "he even felt its fur." She continued: "He was running for his life." It is understood a male teacher heroically tried to stop the bear but he was among those who was seriously injured and taken away in an ambulance. Ms Schooner told how the teacher got the whole brunt of it from the aggressive animal. She told The Canadian Press her son Alvarez was traumatised by the attack which had injured his friends, with three children among those with major injuries. So far authorities in Canada have not released the names or ages of the victims. "He said that bear ran so close to him, but it was going after somebody else," said Ms Schooner, with Alvarez left in shock from what happened. "Everybody was in shock at the school. 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.
The Nuxalk Nation, the First Nation government based in Bella Coola, said the bear remains on the loose. In a statement to the community on Facebook, it said: There is an aggressive bear in the area. DO NOT GO LOOKING FOR IT. "It is understandable if you are feeling stressed and scared. Support is available at the Youth Centre. Please join us for food, comfort, and community. Please do not walk there - if you need a ride, contact Shanti Tallio-Milton or Cole Sankey. "Otherwise, if you are not at the hospital or youth centre, STAY INDOORS, do not go down any trails. If you need to go somewhere, please drive." Acwsalcta School, which is run by the Nuxalk Nation in Bella Coola, says the incident involved members of its community. It announced the school will be closed Friday due to the bear incident. It stated: Its hard to know what to say during this very difficult time. We are so grateful for our team and our students." Emergency Health Services spokesman Brian Twaites said the attack happened on a trail near Highway 20, and two ambulances and a community paramedic responded. "Paramedics provided emergency medical treatment to four patients and transported them to hospital. Two patients were in critical condition and two were in serious condition," he said. The local authority, the Central Coast Regional District and Board, offered its condolences to the community with chairwoman Jayme Kennedy, saying: "On behalf of the Central Coast Regional District and the Board I would like to send heartfelt support to the Nuxalk Nation and to all touched by the bear attack that took place this afternoon. "We are all feeling devastation as we try to understand the magnitude of the attack and navigate what has happened. To all that were able to assist in any way, we would like to extend our thanks to you for providing the immediate support required. The CCRD will continue to share any updates provided by the Nuxalk Nation and assist where needed."
0 Comments