BELLA COOLA, BRITISH COLUMBIA / RankWire.AI / – Family members have identified the two victims of a suspected fatal grizzly bear attack near Bella Coola, B.C., as Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her daughter Selah Reed, 20. Balcarras’s remains were found on Monday in the Snooka West Trail area, according to the B.C. Conservation Officer Service. Officers later said the second victim was found dead on Tuesday afternoon. Trapping efforts are underway, but no bear has been captured.
Family reported the pair missing on Sunday after they did not return from a walk on the trail on Saturday afternoon. The trail is about a five-minute drive from their home. The RCMP and Bella Coola Valley Search and Rescue joined the search, according to conservation officers. Josh Balcarras, Jennifer’s brother, said the pair knew the trail well. He said it is not in a remote area and described the outing as a casual walk.
Josh Balcarras said the experience felt surreal, like a dream. He described how a few hours without hearing from them turned into a day, then a night. By the second night, he said, the family knew something was seriously wrong. Officials have urged people to stay away from the Snooka West Trail area while the investigation continues. Bear safety warnings are common in Canada’s mountain destinations, including Banff.
Family remembers an artist and a gentle soul
Balcarras worked as an art therapist in Bella Coola. Her younger brothers remember her as a book lover with a passion for guitar, singing, painting and the outdoors. She had four children, and Reed was her youngest. Her brother Matthew said she painted murals in her own children’s home and in his. He described her as a central person in the family. Bella Coola, a small community on B.C.’s central coast, lies about 700 kilometres northwest of Vancouver.
Reed was an education assistant studying through Athabasca University’s online learning program. Family described her as a gentle, sweet and quiet soul with a love of ballet, art and hiking. Josh said mother and daughter shared many interests and got along very well. He called them two peas in a pod, saying Selah was always beside her mother on hikes.
Conservation officers set traps
Insp. Jeff Tyre of the BCCOS said in a video that officers’ thoughts are with the victims’ families during this tragic time. He said a team is investigating the suspected attack and trapping efforts are underway. The service said any captured bears would be assessed to determine next steps. If a bear is found to be responsible, it will be dispatched to ensure public safety under provincial human-wildlife conflict guidelines.
The deaths come a year after a grizzly attacked a group of schoolchildren and teachers on a trail south of Highway 20 near Bella Coola, leaving several critically injured. The Nuxalk Nation directed community members and media to the conservation officer service for updates. Elected Chief Samuel Schooner said the Nation understands first-hand the trauma the incident will inflict on families, last year’s victims and the community. The tragedy follows a difficult year in the province, where avalanches killed four people in northern B.C. in March.