Article content
A grizzly bear encounter near Elkford, B.C., resulted in the death of a bear and significant injury to one of two men involved.
Elkford RCMP responded to a report of a bear attack around 3 p.m. Thursday on a mountainside south of Elkford, near the industrial park to the west of Highway 43, the police agency said in a statement.
Article content
Two men with dogs had been tracking a bear when one of the men, a 36-year-old Sparwood resident, was attacked by an adult grizzly bear. The man was able to defend himself with a firearm, causing the bear to run away. The other man, the victim’s father, called for help.
Article content
The man sustained significant injuries from the attack, including broken bones and cuts. The father was uninjured, according to RCMP.
Elkford Fire Department, BC Ambulance, RCMP, Conservation officers and local SAR teams co-ordinated a multi-agency response.
The man was moved approximately 200 metres down the mountainside, where a helicopter performed a long-line rescue. He was flown to a nearby helipad in Elkford, where STARS air ambulance was waiting to take him to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary. Elkford RCMP say the man was in stable condition when he left the scene.
Conservation officers sent a team to search for the bear, which they believed to be injured. Shortly after 9 p.m., officers found the bear deceased near where the attack took place.
The RCMP typically sees a spike in bear reports from May through September, it said.
For advice on how to travel safely in bear country, visit the Parks Canada page on bear safety here.
Recommended from Editorial
Share this article in your social network
