Grizzly bear attack kills mother and daughter near Bella Coola, British Columbia

Two bodies found near a trail

Conservation officers in British Columbia say a 48-year-old mother and her 20-year-old daughter were killed in what is believed to be a grizzly bear attack. The two set out on a walk along a wooded trail near Bella Coola on the afternoon of Saturday, 31 October, a few minutes' drive from their home. When they did not arrive at a family dinner planned for that evening, the family's alarm grew, and relatives tried to find them on their own before reporting them missing on Sunday, 1 November. Police found the women's car parked at the start of the trail on the Sunday morning. Environmental Protection officers located the first body on Monday, 2 November, not far from the trail they were following, and the second on Tuesday, 3 November, after further searches in the area.

Officers hunt for the bear

The conservation service believes the two were killed in a probable grizzly bear attack, and officers have told people to avoid the Snooka West trail area. Inspector Jeff Tyre said the service is looking into whether more than one bear took part in the fatal attack. Officers are trying to capture any bear involved, and any animal taken will be assessed and put down if it is confirmed to have taken part, under provincial guidelines for managing conflicts between people and wildlife. The forest service said traps had been set in the area. Tyre told residents what was at stake.

“We appreciate people's concerns and the desire to assist but it is critical the public stay out of the area”

Officers have not yet established whether one animal was responsible or whether more than one was involved.

The victims and their family

The mother, who worked as an art therapist according to the Guardian, had recently moved to Bella Coola, a community of about 2,100 people, for a new job. A fundraiser started by her family describes her as building a future and not yet having savings for unexpected expenses like these. She leaves behind three adult children and a grandchild. The daughter, the family said, had her whole life ahead of her, and a relative wrote that the loss was even more heartbreaking because she was only beginning her journey into adulthood. A brother of the mother said the outing was an ordinary walk on a trail very close to home, and that the family had gone hours without contact before the days became unbearable. Both women had lived in remote and rugged parts of the province and had also spent time in Alaska.

An earlier attack and conflicting details

The Guardian reports that the community was already shaken by a grizzly attack on schoolchildren and their teachers earlier in 2026. RMF24 places that incident about a year before this one and says a dozen or so people were injured. The Notícias ao Minuto report gives the daughter's age as 19, while other reports say 20. No source links the earlier attack to the deaths of the two women.