Suspected Grizzly Bear Attack Claims Lives Of A Mother And Her Daughter
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What was just supposed to be an afternoon walk ended in tragedy.
A mother and daughter were found dead on Nov. 2 and Nov. 3, having reportedly been killed by a grizzly bear.
According to CBC News, the victims were identified as a mother and daughter: Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and Selah Reed, 20.
The two had previously been reported missing by their family on Sunday, Nov. 1, after they did not return from a hiking trip near their residence around Bella Coola, British Columbia, Canada, on Oct. 31.
Jennifer Balcarras’ brother, Josh Balcarras, told the CBC the area they were walking through was one they were quite familiar with, adding that it was “just a casual walk.”
Now, a search is being conducted to capture the suspected grizzly bear or multiple bears that killed this mother and daughter.
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More On The Search For The Grizzly Bear
As of Nov. 4, the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) has its officers out conducting “very dangerous work” as it pursues the suspected bear or multiple bears that are believed to have killed this mother and daughter, BCCOS Inspector Jeff Tyre said during a news conference.
On Nov. 2, the body of Jennifer Balcarras was recovered around the Snooka West Trail area by a search and rescue team working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
The next day, Nov. 3, the body of Balcarras’ daughter, Selah Reed, was found by officers with the BCCOS and RCMP.
Hikers and other visitors are urged to avoid the Snooka West Trail area to avoid the dangers of the area and to give investigators space to conduct their search for the bears.
A GoFundMe page has been established to help cover funeral expenses for the deceased mother and daughter. That GoFundMe can be accessed, here.
In the afternoon of Nov. 4, a news conference was held by BCCOS, with the agency saying it had not yet captured the suspected bear or bears involved in the attack.
Asked if there were any details that could be shared on the nature of the attack on this mother and daughter, BCCOS Inspector Tyre said he did not yet have information to put together a narrative on the incident.
Around this time last year, on Nov. 20, 2025, a group of students and a teacher from an independent indigenous school in the Nuxalk Nation in Bella Coola were attacked by a grizzly bear, leaving 11 people injured.
During the Nov. 4 news conference, BCCOS Inspector Tyre said, “At this time, the investigation is too early on to speculate upon that. There’s so many bears in the valley, we can’t even put a context to that.”
Watch the Nov. 4 news conference, in full, here.
Here, the first video BCCOS released on the discovery of the body of Jennifer Balcarras can be seen:
Here, the second video the BCCOS released upon finding the body of Selah Reed can be seen:
This is a developing story.
