Mother and Daughter Killed in Suspected Grizzly Bear Attack in Canada
A mother and her daughter were found dead on a British Columbia hiking trail in a suspected grizzly bear attack, local wildlife authorities reported.
A 48-year-old woman and her 20-year-old daughter were found dead after embarking on a hike along the Snooka West trail near the town of Bella Coola in British Columbia, Canada. Wildlife authorities are investigating the incident, with preliminary findings suggesting they were attacked by a grizzly bear.
According to reports, the trail is located just a five-minute drive from Belkars' home. Family members reported the two missing on Sunday after they failed to return from the walk and Jennifer missed a scheduled Saturday meeting. Search and rescue teams located Jennifer's body the following day, while Sela's body was discovered on Tuesday afternoon.
Josh Belkars, Jennifer's brother, described the tragedy in a statement to CBC:
"It feels surreal. It doesn't look real. It feels like a dream. It started when we didn't hear from them for a few hours. Then a day passed, and then a night, and another night, and it became reality."
Matt Belkars, another brother, noted that Jennifer worked as an art therapist and had recently moved to Bella Coola, a town of 2,163 residents. Both brothers emphasized that the mother and daughter were walking on a trail very close to their home rather than a remote wilderness area, noting that they were strong women who lived life to the fullest. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to assist the family with funeral expenses.
