Authorities in British Columbia are continuing an urgent search for a mother grizzly and her two cubs, four days after the animals charged a group of elementary school students and teachers on a midday outing — an episode local officials describe as one of the most alarming wildlife encounters the region has seen.
The violent incident happened Thursday, Nov. 20 near the Four Mile subdivision of Bella Coola, a community linked with the Nuxalk Nation, the Provincial Health Services Authority previously confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement. Students, some only 9 years old, were eating lunch along a trail when the bear emerged from the trees and began attacking without warning.
In the chaos that followed, three teachers stepped between the bear and the children. One emptied two full cans of bear spray with little impact. Another physically jumped onto the bear, hitting it repeatedly. A third used her crutches to strike the animal until it retreated back into the forest.
Three children were taken to a nearby hospital — two with life-threatening injuries — and one adult was airlifted to Vancouver for treatment, Inspector Kevin Van Damme confirmed in a video update posted to Facebook. Seven more people were treated locally for less severe injuries.
