After Afternoon Walk Near Bella Coola, Mother, Daughter Dead in Suspected Grizzly Bear Attack in Canada

Search finds two victims

Tyre said his agency was in contact with the family and offered support as the investigation continued. In a social media video, he expressed sympathy for the victims’ relatives.

Family remembers mother and daughter

Josh Balcarras told CBC that Selah was beside Jenny when she went hiking. The family said Reed had much of her life ahead of her and was just starting adulthood. The deaths devastated the family, according to relatives.

Grizzly encounters in British Columbia

The provincial Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks estimates that 10,000 to 13,000 grizzly bears live in British Columbia. The species is classified as vulnerable. The ministry describes conflicts between people and grizzlies as relatively rare, except when bears are startled or protecting cubs or food. The province has nevertheless seen several attacks in recent years.

In November 2025, a grizzly attacked students and teachers in the Bella Coola valley. Two people were critically injured, two were seriously hurt, and others received treatment at the scene and were released. In May 2024, a hunter in the Elkford region suffered broken bones and lacerations; he shot the bear in self-defense, and it was later found dead.