‘Life and death’: Chief tells of trauma and bravery in grizzly attack on B.C. pupils

What was to be a short afternoon field trip for about 20 students and staff of a school in Bella Coola, B.C., became a scene of trauma and heroism when a grizzly bear attack badly injured four people, the Nuxalk Nation’s elected chief said Friday.

Thursday’s attack on the elementary class as they had lunch by a river triggered an outpouring of sympathy for the victims, surprise from experts at the bear’s behaviour, and praise for the teachers who drove it off.

It was a moment of “life and death,” said Chief Samuel Schooner, flanked by conservation and police officers at a news conference in the remote community about 700 kilometres northwest of Vancouver.

The severely injured victims were an adult and three children, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said. Seven other people were treated at the scene.

Schooner called the attack “one of the worst scenarios” the Nuxalk had encountered as a nation, as he praised the teachers.

“When they were tasked (with) making the ultimate decision of life and death, they chose to lay their lives on the line for their students,” he said, adding the children “are going to be around for many, many, many years” because of the teachers’ actions.

“When you really think about that, I’m just so proud of them.”

He said in a statement the attack was unprecedented and resulted in significant trauma to his community, but that the outcome could have been much worse.

The group included students in Grades 4 and 5.

A statement from the Provincial Health Services Authority said the four patients remain in hospital, but would not share details of their conditions as their families have requested privacy. 

Two were in critical condition when they were flown to hospital Thursday, while the other two were listed in serious condition.

 Environment Minister Tamara Davidson also praised the actions of the adults in the group. 

“We hold deep gratitude for the bravery shown by those who acted quickly to protect others,” she said. “I want to recognize the teachers, who took great risk to protect their students.” 

Their actions deserve the deepest respect and gratitude, she said. “They were well prepared, and they are the true heroes.”

Insp. Kevin Van Damme of the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said they were interviewing witnesses and collecting physical evidence to find the bear, which remained on the loose Friday.

Van Damme said in his 34 years of experience, he had never seen such an attack.

“This is extremely rare, and I think the public needs to understand that part,” he said. “We are trying to determine the behaviour, and why the bear acted in the way it did.” 

A preliminary investigation suggested the bear may have been previously injured, the service said.

Sgt. Jeff Tyre told the news conference in Bella Coola that five officers were on the ground and three more were on the way.

He said traps were set, but a decision had not yet been made on whether to euthanize the bear if it is caught.

Nicholas Scapillati, executive director of the Grizzly Bear Foundation conservation group, said it’s important that people not jump to conclusions about the animal before the official investigation is complete.

While he couldn’t comment on the Bella Coola attack, Scapillati said previous instances fell into two large categories: a surprise encounter with a startled mother bear and her cubs, or an injured or otherwise compromised bear that’s unable to feed and is starving.

He dismissed suggestions that bears may be more aggressive before hibernation because the animals do not look to human prey.

Scapillati said he worried about pro-hunting groups using the attack to spread inaccurate information about bears being aggressive.

“That’s so inappropriate at a time when we’re focused on holding the children and families and all those affected in our hearts and focused on them,” Scapillati said. 

Noel Pootlass, the head Nuxalk hereditary chief, said in an interview Friday that all of the students and Indigenous teachers are relatives of his. He identified one of the victims as a cousin, who is a teaching assistant at the school. 

Pootlass said the encounter left his relative with serious injuries, which are currently being treated at a hospital in Metro Vancouver, where doctors are also treating the seriously injured children. 

He said his cousin “took the main onslaught” of the injuries, which included severe head trauma. 

Pootlass added he saw one boy in the emergency room with head injuries and “his face was just covered with scratches.”

There were probably 100 people in the emergency room at one stage, he said. 

“Parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, uncles and aunts,” he said. “It was a terrifying experience for them.”

A woman who said her daughter was attacked posted photos on social media Friday showing the girl on a stretcher in an ambulance and then a plane, saying she was on her way to Vancouver. Later photos showed the girl conscious in a hospital bed, with dressings around her neck.

Pootlass said there have been multiple accounts of what happened, but that one parent reported those in the group were “whacking the bear over the head” with whatever they could find before it eventually ran away.

There have been growing reports of bears breaking into sheds and salmon smoke houses, Pootlass said.

“The whole valley has that,” he said. “The bears have become very aggressive. They have been around humans, and now, they are not scared of humans.”

The conservation service said in a statement Friday that the grizzly emerged from the forest as students and teachers were having lunch on a trail.

Multiple teachers “physically intervened” and used bear spray and a bear banger to drive the grizzly away, the statement said. 

The school whose pupils and staff were injured in the attack is thanking them for their courage and resilience.

The Nuxalk Nation’s academy said in an statement it will support students and staff.

Pootlass said the nation was holding a healing ceremony Friday. 

“The whole community and the neighbouring village are traumatized, and they are all worried about the impact of what the kids have seen,” Pootlass said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2025.