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This grizzly went fully grisly.
A grizzly bear attacked a group of native American schoolchildren and their teachers, injuring 11, some critically — including a heroic school teacher who tried to fight off the “aggressive” predator.
The group of fourth- and fifth-graders was walking along a trail Thursday afternoon in Bella Coola, British Columbia — about 430 miles northwest of Vancouver — when the bear attacked, according to BC Emergency Health Services, which said it is still at large.
Two of the 11 injured were left in critical condition, with at least two others in serious condition. It was not clear how many of the hurt were children in the group from the Nuxalk First Nation’s Acwsalcta School.
But the injured included heroic teachers who tried to fight off the bear to protect the kids in their care, Veronica Schooner, a mother of one of the students, told the Canadian Press.
That included one unidentified male teacher who “got the whole brunt of it” and was among those airlifted to a nearby hospital, the mom said.
Schooner’s 10-year-old son, Alvarez, was so close to the beast “he even felt its fur,” the mom said.
“He said that the bear ran so close to him, but it was going after somebody else,” Schooner said of her son, who was “traumatized” by it.
“He keeps crying for his friends, and oh my goodness, right away he started praying for his friends,” she said.
The Acwsalcta School announced that it would be closed on Friday as a result of “the bear incident.”
“It’s hard to know what to say during this very difficult time. We are so grateful for our team and our students,” the school wrote in a social media post.
Officials have urged residents to stay indoors as the bear remains on the loose. Residents have been told not to go looking for it.
Nuxalk Nation Chief Samuel Schooner said the community has been “devastated” by the attack.
“All individuals involved are receiving medical support and our priority is to ensure that they are safe.”
With Post Wires
