A Canadian family has been left devastated after a mother and daughter were apparently killed by a grizzly bear during what relatives described as a “casual walk” on a nearby trail.
Jennifer Balcarras, 48, was found dead on the Snooka West Trail in Bella Coola on Monday. Evidence at the scene indicated that she may have been killed in a bear attack, according to the British Columbia Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS).
Her daughter, 20-year-old Selah Reed, was discovered dead on Tuesday afternoon after conservation officers and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police carried out an extensive search, the Vancouver Sun reports.
Relatives had spoken with Balcarras on Saturday, but grew worried when she failed to join an online meeting that evening, her brother Matthew told the outlet.
After the family received no response, they asked the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to carry out a welfare check on Sunday morning. Officers soon found Balcarras’ vehicle at a trailhead near the hiking route.
“It’s surreal. It doesn’t seem real. It feels like a dream,” Josh Balcarras, another of the mother-of-four’s brothers, told the CBC.
“It starts with a few hours of not hearing from them. That becomes a day and then a night. Then a second night comes, and it becomes a real thing.”
He said Balcarras and Reed knew the Snooka West Trail well. It is only about a five-minute drive from their home and, he stressed, “not in a remote area.”
“It was just a casual walk,” the grieving brother said.
Jennifer Balcarras, 48, and her daughter, Selah Reed, 20, were found dead on the Snooka West Trail in Bella Coola, British Columbia. Source: GoFundMe
Balcarras’ brother described the mother and daughter as “two peas in a pod” who loved hiking and were familiar with the trail
Balcarras’ two younger brothers remembered her as an art therapist, an avid reader and someone who loved playing guitar, singing, painting and spending time outdoors.
She was a mother of four, with Reed as her youngest child, and was also a grandmother.
“She painted murals in her own kids’ homes and in my home,” Matthew said. “She was very much a central person in our family.”
An online fundraiser for the funeral costs said Balcarras had “recently made the move to Bella Coola to pursue a new career and begin a new chapter in her life.”
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“She was working toward building a future and had not yet had the opportunity to establish savings or put aside funds to help her family with unexpected expenses such as these,” the fundraiser said.
“Tragically, no one could have anticipated that her family would be faced with such an unimaginable loss.”
The fundraiser described Reed as a 20-year-old “with her whole life ahead of her” who was only beginning her journey into adulthood, making her death “even more heartbreaking.”
Reed had worked as an educational assistant and was studying through Athabasca University’s online learning program.
Balcarras’ brothers also remembered their sister as an avid reader who loved playing guitar, singing, painting and spending time outdoors. Source: GoFundMe
Her family has described Reed as “a gentle, sweet, quiet soul” who loved ballet, art and hiking.
“She liked a lot of the same things Jenny liked,” Josh said. “I think they got along really, really well.”
“They were two peas in a pod,” he added. “When Jenny hiked, Selah was right there beside her.”
The BCCOS said in an online statement that a team is investigating the suspected grizzly bear attack.
“Our thoughts are with the families of the victims during this tragic time,” Inspector Jeff Tyre said in a video posted online.
Trapping operations are underway, Tyre said, although no bears have been captured.
If bears are caught, the BCCOS will assess the situation and determine what action should follow.
“If the bear is determined to be the bear responsible for the attack, it will be dispatched to ensure public safety, as per provincial human-wildlife conflict response guidelines,” Tyre said.
Until then, he urged the public to avoid the Snooka West Trail and leave the search to conservation officers.
“We appreciate people’s concerns and the desire to assist, but it is critical the public stay out of the area — both due to the danger and to allow officers to do their work.”
