One teacher on crutches, a second adult with bear spray, and a third person who punched and kicked a grizzly despite serious injuries are being praised for their actions that saved a school group attacked by a bear near Bella Coola, B.C.
Four people, including children, were hospitalized Thursday after a bear attack on students and teachers from the Nuxwalk First Nation while out on a school trip, near Acwalcta School east of the remote community.
Seven others were treated on scene for their injuries.
“When the kids were getting attacked, one of my cousins who had his skull ripped, ran towards the bear and jumped on it with his bare hands,” said Noel Pootlass, a hereditary chief of the Nuxalk First Nation.
“He started punching and kicking it,” Pootlass told Global News on Saturday.
Pootlass said another teacher unloaded two cans of bear spray into the eyes of the animal, noting that it “never even fazed it, didn’t do anything to the bear.”
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Pootlass said a third teacher then got involved in rescue efforts.
”Another lady, a teacher with crutches, was whacking it, hitting it (in the) eyes, in the face, in the head, for minutes and then the bear finally took off,” he explained.
He added that several students escaped the attack but were injured while running away from the bear.
Three additional British Columbia Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) officers were dispatched to Bella Coola on Saturday, joining five officers already on location, tracking the bear and establishing a clearer picture of how the attack unfolded.
The RCMP is also involved with helping BCCOS track the animal, with the use of aerial support.
Authorities have urged residents to to avoid the Four Mile area, stay indoors and not search for the bears themselves.
“We can appreciate people want to be involved but this is a fluid and dangerous situation,” said Inspector Kevin Van Damme of the BCCOS.
“For the safety of residents and our officers, please avoid the area and allow them space to do their work.”
“I’m amazed by the heroism and the bravery they had to protect the kids,” Pootlass said.
“One of them had a 100 stitches, fractured shoulder, fractured elbow, fractured ankle,” Pootlass said, adding “it’s amazing none of them were killed.”
Nuxalk First Nation said it is taking steps to ensure those affected have access to medical and spiritual healing available to them.
Bella Coola is in the Central Coast region of B.C., about 330 km southeast of Prince Rupert as the crow flies.
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