World

Mother Found Dead, Daughter Missing After Suspected Grizzly Attack Near Bella Coola

By Leyland Cecco

A mother has been found dead and her 19‑year‑old daughter remains missing after a suspected grizzly bear attack in the community of Bella Coola, British Columbia. The British Columbia Conservation Officer Service announced on Tuesday that it had begun a search for the missing people over the weekend. During the search on Sunday, an officer located the mother’s body. The search for the daughter is still underway. Inspector Jeff Tyre said in a video posted online, “Our thoughts are with the families of the victims during this tragic time.” The missing pair, Jenny Balcarras, an art therapist, and her daughter were reported missing by relatives over the weekend. A family member posted on Facebook that their vehicle had been found at a trailhead near Bella Coola after the conservation service announced the suspected attack. The incident is believed to have occurred on the Snooka West trail, about 8 km east of Bella Coola, on the province’s central coast. Bella Coola, a community of roughly 2,100 people, sits at the end of a fjord along the central coast. The area’s remote location and abundant food sources make grizzly bears common, though attacks are exceedingly rare. In November, 11 people, some as young as nine, were injured when a grizzly attacked a school group near 4 Mile in the Nuxalk community of 4 Mile. The bear was never located. Samuel Schooner, elected chief of the Nuxalk Nation, said on Tuesday that a trapping effort to find the bear was underway and asked media to refrain from contacting community members. He added, “While the full circumstances are still unfolding, we understand first‑hand the trauma this incident will inflict upon the victims’ family members, the victims of last year’s attack and the community at large. Our thoughts are with the victim’s family as they learn of this tragic event.”