1 dead, 1 missing in suspected bear attack near Bella Coola

One person is dead and another is missing after a suspected grizzly bear attack near Bella Coola, B.C., the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said Tuesday.

Conservation officers were called Monday to help the RCMP and search and rescue crews after human remains were found near the Snooka West Trail, about eight kilometres east of the Central Coast community, the service said.

The two people were reported missing by family members on Sunday, according to reporting by My Kootenay Now. The Canadian Press reported the same toll of one dead and one missing.

“There was evidence to suggest a bear may have been involved,” Insp. Jeff Tyre of the Conservation Officer Service said in a statement. “Conservation officers responded to help secure the area. The search continues for the second individual. Additional conservation officers arrived last night in Bella Coola to investigate this incident.”

No bear has been captured, according to My Kootenay Now. The service said trapping is underway and that any bears caught will be assessed to determine the next steps. If a bear is confirmed to be responsible, it will be destroyed to ensure public safety, in line with provincial human-wildlife conflict guidelines, the service said.

The Conservation Officer Service has urged the public to stay away from the Snooka West Trail area so officers can continue their investigation. No formal closure has been reported.

“Our thoughts are with the families of the victims during this tragic time,” the service said. “We are working to support the family as our investigation continues.”

The agencies involved include the RCMP in Bella Coola, Bella Coola Valley Search and Rescue and the B.C. Coroners Service, and officials have been working with liaisons from the Nuxalk Nation, My Kootenay Now reported. Canada News Media is not naming the people involved while the search continues and the cause of death has not been confirmed.

The incident comes less than a year after a grizzly attacked a group of students and teachers on a trail near Bella Coola on Nov. 20, 2025. Several people were flown to hospital in the Lower Mainland, and conservation officers later said DNA testing showed a bear they had captured was not the one involved in that attack, according to earlier reports from Global News and The Canadian Press.

The Conservation Officer Service has not said whether the two incidents are linked, and no cause of death has been officially confirmed. Grizzly bears are common in the Bella Coola Valley, where salmon runs draw them to the river systems each fall. Residents were warned last year to avoid areas where bears had been seen and not to search for the animals themselves.

This is a developing story and will be updated as the RCMP, the Conservation Officer Service or the B.C. Coroners Service release more information.

Sources: The Canadian Press (via CTV News), My Kootenay Now.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.