A grizzly bear attacked a group of schoolchildren and teachers on a walking trail in British Columbia, Canada, injuring 11 people, two of them critically.
The attack happened Thursday afternoon in Bella Coola, 700 kilometers (435 miles) northwest of Vancouver. The Nuxalk Nation said the 鈥渁ggressive bear鈥� remained on the loose Thursday evening and police and conservation officers were on the scene.
鈥淥fficers are armed. Remain indoors and off the highway,鈥� the First Nation said in a social media post.
Two people were critically injured and two had serious injuries, Emergency Health Services spokesman Brian Twaites said. The others were treated at the scene.
Parent Veronica Schooner said a lot of people tried to halt the attack but one male teacher 鈥済ot the whole brunt of it鈥� and was among the people taken by helicopter from the scene.
Schooner’s 10-year-old son Alvarez was in the class of fourth- and fifth-graders that was attacked and was so close to the animal 鈥渉e even felt its fur,” she said.
鈥淗e said that bear ran so close to him, but it was going after somebody else,” Schooner said.
She added that some children were hit with bear spray as the teachers fought off the bear and Alvarez was limping and his shoes muddy from running for safety. Her son鈥檚 thoughts, however, were with his classmates.
鈥淗e keeps crying for his friends, and oh my goodness, right away he started praying for his friends,” she added.
Acwsalcta School, an independent school run by Nuxalk First Nation in Bella Coola, said in a Facebook post that the school will be closed on Friday and counseling made available.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to know what to say during this very difficult time. We are so grateful for our team and our students,鈥� the post said.
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