Mother and daughter killed in suspected grizzly bear attack in western Canada

Summary

A mother and her 20-year-old daughter were killed in a suspected grizzly bear attack near their home in Bella Coola, British Columbia, after going missing on a hiking trail over the weekend. Family members identified the victims as Jennifer Balcarras and Selah Reed. British Columbia conservation officers said that during a search on Sunday an officer found the mother's body, and late on Tuesday they located the daughter's body near a trail a short distance from their home. Officers now believe more than one grizzly bear may have been involved. The Guardian also reported that the community was the site of an earlier grizzly attack on a group of schoolchildren.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   3 Nov 2026, 22:08 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that a mother was dead and her 19-year-old daughter was missing after a suspected grizzly bear attack in western Canada, in the same community where a bear had attacked schoolchildren, and that the British Columbia conservation officer service said on Tuesday it had launched a search for the two over the weekend and that an officer found the mother's body on Sunday.

2. CBS News

   4 Nov 2026, 15:33 UTCSource ↗

   CBS News reports that family members identified the victims as Jennifer Balcarras and her 20-year-old daughter, Selah Reed, in a suspected grizzly bear attack in Canada.

3. The Guardian

   4 Nov 2026, 19:42 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that search teams found the body of a 20-year-old woman and that Canadian authorities confirmed she and her mother were killed in an attack that conservation officers believe could have involved multiple grizzly bears, with the two found near a trail a short distance from their home.

4. Fox News

   4 Nov 2026, 21:14 UTCSource ↗

   Fox News reports that Jennifer Balcarras and Selah Reed went missing on a hiking trail minutes from their Bella Coola home before a suspected grizzly bear attack that left both dead.