One dead, one missing in suspected grizzly bear attack near Bella Coola, B.C.

Kara Belcarras, who identified herself as Jenny Belcarras’s sister-in-law, issued a Facebook post about the missing pair and later updated it with the Conservation Officer Service’s statement about the attack.

Kara Belcarras’s post said the missing pair’s vehicle had been found at a trailhead near Bella Coola.

Insp. Jeff Tyre with the Conservation Officer Service said in a video statement that evidence at the scene where human remains were found suggested a bear may have been involved.

“Our thoughts are with the families of the victims during this tragic time. We are working to support the family as our investigation continues.”

The apparent attack comes nearly a year after a grizzly attacked a group of about 20 elementary school students and teachers in the same central coast community, leaving an adult and three children badly injured last November.

At the time, Emergency Health Services spokesman Brian Twaites said that attack happened on a trail near Highway 20.

There was an extensive effort to catch that bear, but while several grizzlies were trapped, DNA tests showed they did not include the bear involved in the attack.

A map on the Bella Coola Community Forest website shows the Snooka trail system, the site of the latest suspected attack, is located south of Highway 20.

Tyre said people are urged to stay away from the Snooka trails due to the potential danger and to allow officers to conduct their work.

He said efforts were underway to find and trap any bears involved.

The Conservation Officer Service said any captured bears would be assessed to determine next steps.

“If the bear is determined to be the bear responsible for the attack, it will be dispatched to ensure public safety, as per provincial human-wildlife conflict response guidelines,” it said in a post on social media.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 3, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

One dead, one missing in suspected grizzly bear attack near Bella Coola, B.C.

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